A free field guide to the spiders, scorpions and other arachnids of Borneo — 134 species, each with photographs, scientific name, and the reserves where it has been recorded. Nothing to buy, nothing to sign up for.
What Borneo's arachnid list looks like
Spiders make up most of the list — orb-weavers spinning wheel webs across trails, huntsman spiders flattened against tree bark, jumping spiders, and the palm-sized Bornean earth tiger tarantulas that shelter in burrows after dark. But arachnids also cover the island's scorpions, and two groups most visitors have never heard of: whip spiders (Amblypygi), harmless flattened hunters with long whip-like front legs, and whip scorpions (Thelyphonida), which spray acetic acid in defence and are nicknamed "vinegaroons" for it.
Mostly harmless, a few worth respecting
The overwhelming majority of what is on this list will not hurt you and would rather run than bite. The exceptions are worth knowing: Bornean scorpion stings are painful but not dangerous to a healthy adult, comparable to a bad wasp sting, and the tarantulas here are shy burrowers, not the aggressive species of popular imagination. Give any spider or scorpion the same space you would a wasp nest and it is not a problem.
Where and when to find them
Night walks with a torch or headtorch are by far the best method — sweep the beam low across the leaf litter and forest floor and wolf spiders and huntsman spiders throw back a distinctive eyeshine that gives away their position long before you would otherwise spot them. Orb-weavers are easiest early morning, when webs still carry dew and are strung at head height across trails.
Using this instead of a book
Bornean arachnids have no dedicated printed field guide of their own. This is photographic, searchable, and free. There is a fuller comparison of this guide against printed field guides generally on the field guide page.
All 134 species
Each card has two colour-coded toggles:
turns lime green — adds it to your trip planner
marks it as seen in my sightings
