The domestic house spider (Tegenaria domestica) is probably the best known and perhaps the most hated of the British spiders, and is often encountered trapped in the bath. The house spider is fairly large and hairy with long legs. It varies in colour from pale to dark brown, with variable sooty markings on the abdomen, although some individuals can be uniform pale yellowish or grey. Male and female house spiders are similar in appearance, but males have a more slender abdomen and longer legs.