Fen raft spider

Fen raft spiders, also known as great raft spiders, are one of the largest and rarest spiders in Britain. Visit them in our Tiny Giants area at London Zoo.

What do fen raft spiders look like?

Fen raft spiders are fairly large, typically the size of your palm. The majority of their body is brown in colour with a beige coloured stripe down either side and speckled legs.

What do fen raft spiders eat?

These spiders eat insects trapped at the water surface, tadpoles and occasionally fish.

Where do fen raft spiders live?

Fen raft spiders are only found in three small sites in the UK (East Anglia, Sussex and south Wales), and small populations in Central Europe. They live in wetland habitats. 

What threats do fen raft spiders face in the wild and how is ZSL helping to protect them?

Fen raft spiders are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list of threatened species. As part of London Zoo’s worldwide conservation work, our zookeepers worked with Natural England to rear tiny fen raft spiderlings into adults, which were then reintroduced back to the wild.