They're relatives of tarantulas and share some of their burrowing habits of that spider species. Trapdoor spiders are medium-sized arachnids with sturdy bodies and thick legs built for digging.

Trapdoor spiders, as their name suggests, are burrowing spiders. They erect multiple “trapdoor” entrances to their burrows and cover them with a silk-weave in an effort to ambush small insect ...

Burrow of Persian Gold Tarantulas in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. The arrow in the photo on the right indicates the location of the burrow.