Araneus quadratus Araneus quadratus Araneus quadratus, the four-spot orb-weaver, is a common orb-weaver spider found in Europe and Central Asia, and as far as the Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan. Females can reach 17 mm in length, especially when gravid, males approximately half that. They are quite variable in appearance, ranging from brown to bright orange or green, but they always have the characteristic four white spots on the abdomen. The darker color morphs are easiest to identify, due to the contrast between the white spots and the rest of the body. The legs are sometimes brightly striped. The spider lives in gardens,
Iberian shrew juveniles, the fur is also adapted for cold, damp habitats: each guard hair possesses an indentation along its length that helps to prevent water from reaching the body. The skull of "S. granarius" can be used to distinguish it from other species belonging to the European "Sorex araneus" group of shrews. Comparatively, the snout of "S. granarius" is small and flat, the mandible possesses a diminished coronoid process and a narrow angular process, and the temporal fossa of the skull resembles a triangle. The "Sorex araneus" group of European shrews consists of "S. araneus", "S. coronatus", and "S. granarius", with