---
title: "Carolina Wolf Spider"
description: "Hogna carolinensis — Insects & spiders. Hogna carolinensis, commonly-known as the Carolina wolf spider and giant wolf spider, is found across North America."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/carolina-wolf-spider
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Carolina Wolf Spider

> Hogna carolinensis — Insects & spiders. Hogna carolinensis, commonly-known as the Carolina wolf spider and giant wolf spider, is found across North America.

- Scientific name: *Hogna carolinensis*
- Category: `insects` (Insects & spiders)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 5294
- Wikidata: [Q2691059](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2691059)
- iNaturalist taxon: [122621](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/122621)

## Names

- en: Carolina Wolf Spider
- de: Carolina-Wolfspinne

## Countries with the most observations

US (2515), MX (96)

## Summary

Hogna carolinensis, commonly-known as the Carolina wolf spider and giant wolf spider, is found across North America. It is the largest of the wolf spiders in North America, typically measuring at 18–20 mm (0.7–0.8 in) for males and 22–35 mm (0.9–1.4 in) for females.
The Carolina wolf spider is mottled brown with a dark underside. Males have orange coloration on their sides. They live in either self-made burrows or ones they find. Like all wolf spiders, H. carolinensis does not make a web to catch prey. They hunt by ambushing prey from their burrows. These spiders are particularly-known for the females carrying their…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogna_carolinensis

## Photo

![Carolina Wolf Spider](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/carolina-wolf-spider/medium.jpg)

Photo: Brian Dickerson · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/201595180

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/carolina-wolf-spider?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).