Appeared in our sink this morning. Looked about an inch long, all black I think. We grabbed it in a glass and threw it out the door, but I'm concerned about it being venomous since we have a small child and dog in the house, and we've seen these types in our apartment before. We're in Sunnyvale, CA. TIA!
I cannot see enough detail to be certain of the type. It's not a Brown Recluse. You did the right thing by getting it outside. They are beneficial by all the pests they eat.
All spiders are venomous, but very few can break through our skin or are poisonous to humans. I read up on bites of Wolf Spiders and though they can bite if provoked, they do not cause the necrotic wounds of the Recluse. The bite can be painful, but only can cause serious problems if there is an allergy.
Looks very much like a ground spider (family Gnaphosidae); these are harmless to humans.
