Appearance The Thorned Desert spider has eight legs, divided amongst four armoured leg-shells. The external shell is covered in a large amount of hooks of various sizes, from the spider's main body to the tips of its legs. The main body is usually between 15-30 cm/0.5-1ft wide, with the legs generally being three times that.The spider is a fleshy, light pink colour itself, with the shell being a light brown, sandlike texture.