8 Creatures With 8 Legs That AREN’T Spiders

Spiders aren’t the only animals in nature with eight legs, although they are probably the most well-known. All spiders are arachnids (Arachnida), and most adult arachnids have eight legs, though some, like larval mites and ticks, have only six legs in their early life stage. Keep reading to learn about eleven examples of eight-legged animals.

1. Spiders

Spiders are probably the first animals that come to mind when thinking of eight-legged creatures. Spiders are a type of arachnid that has eight legs and eight eyes. All spiders make silk, although they don’t all spin webs. Another similarity is that all spiders have a sticky type of hair on their feet, called ‘spatulae.’ These allow spiders to grip surfaces and easily crawl up walls and across ceilings. Beyond those similarities, however, there are many variations, which isn’t surprising considering there are around 50,000 spider species worldwide. 

2. Scorpions

Another eight-legged creature in the arachnid family is the scorpion. Fossils of scorpions have been found that date back over 420 million years. Although scorpions can be numerous in some parts of the world, they are rarely seen. This is because they are nocturnal and tend to hide from humans. Scorpions are ancient and are some of the first animals on Earth that adapted to living on land. Fossils of scorpions have been found that date back over 420 million years. Depending on the species, they have lifespans ranging from 3 to 8 years, though some may live up to 20–25 years under ideal conditions.

3. Mites

Many types of mites exist, and like all arachnids, they have eight legs—except during the larval stage, when they hatch with six legs. Most mites don’t bite humans, but they can cause a nuisance to pets, such as cats and dogs. Chiggers, however, are a larval type of mite that do bite humans. As larvae, chiggers only have six legs. They develop eight when they grow into their adult form. Chiggers can climb, but because they don’t jump or fly, they tend to reach human ankles that aren’t covered by socks or pants. Chigger bites are red bumps on the skin that can cause a lot of itching.

4. Ticks

Ticks are arachnids that appear similar to spiders. They have six legs as larvae, but adults have four pairs of legs. Tick legs are covered with short, spiny hairs that end in a claw. The hairs and claws help ticks grab onto vegetation while they wait for an animal or human to walk by. Once they climb onto their hosts, they latch on and feed on them. Ticks can transmit tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, to humans and animals. Some tick-borne diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, can be transmitted in as little as 2–6 hours, while Lyme disease typically requires 24–48 hours of tick attachment. This is why it is critical to check yourself and your pets after being in infested areas.

5. Vinegaroon (Whip Scorpion)

A vinegaroon, or whip scorpion, has four pairs of legs. The first pair of front legs is used as sense organs, while the creature walks on the other six legs. A whip scorpion’s tail is long and flexible, with an acid-spraying gland at the base.

6. Tailless Whip Scorpion

The eight-legged, tailless whip scorpion gets its name from its whip-like front legs. Often mistaken for vinegaroons, the two species are closely related and very similar in appearance. Their whip-like front legs are longer than their other legs, and like the vinegaroon, they use them as sensors to help them navigate.

7. Pseudoscorpion (False Scorpion)

Pseudoscorpions are small, scorpion-like arachnids with eight legs. Like scorpions, they have eight legs. They are much smaller than scorpions, with most of them smaller than 1/8 of an inch. When pseudoscorpions walk, they resemble the way a crab walks, and they can move backward as quickly as they move forward. Pseudoscorpions live in many different habitats and prefer to hide in small, dark places like crevices and cracks. They are beneficial to humans because they feed on pests in the home, such as carpet beetle larvae, small flies, and mites.

8. Harvestman (Daddy Long Legs)

Harvestmen, otherwise known as Daddy Long Legs, are not spiders, although they closely resemble them. Unlike spiders, they lack silk or venom glands and don’t build webs. They are scavengers that live on the forest floor, eating organic material. The front pair of legs of the harvestman are the most sensitive. They wave them around in front of their body to sense where they are going. Another fascinating feature of harvestmen’s legs is that they can shed them to escape predators, but the legs do not grow back.

9. Camel Spiders

Camel spiders have eight legs but are not spiders. Also called wind scorpions or sun spiders, they are ferocious carnivores that feast on beetles, lizards, rodents, and small birds. They may appear to have ten legs, but the two long appendages near their mouths, called ‘pedipalps,’ are not legs. These appendages are sensory organs, not legs.

10. Porcelain Crabs

Porcelain crabs are not true crabs but are very small decapod crustaceans. They have eight legs, six of which they use for walking. The remaining pair is hard to spot, as they keep them folded up near their body for cleaning. These small crustaceans can be found hiding out in Pacific Coast tide pools, searching for planktonic food. Porcelain crabs can shed a leg or a claw to distract a predator. Fortunately, their missing limb can grow back.

11. Tardigrades (Water Bears)

Finally, last on the list is the fascinating tardigrade (otherwise known as water bears or moss piglets). These tiny, microscopic animals have eight stubby legs. Tardigrades have four pairs of legs, with the last pair positioned at the rear of their bodies. The legs have long, bear-like claws, and when they walk, their movement is similar to that of arthropods. Tardigrades are among the toughest creatures and can survive in extreme environments, including ice, dehydration, and outer space. These hardy little water bears have also survived radiation and extreme pressure.

What About Lobsters, Starfish, and Octopi?

Other animal species have eight limbs, though these may not all be legs. For example, an octopus has eight arms, and some starfish species have eight arms as well. Lobsters have eight walking legs but ten legs in total; their two front appendages are claw-like and not used for walking, though they are technically considered legs.