I live in Northern California, near the Oregon border, and my mother and I were digging up the roots of an old lilac bush when we suddenly came across a black spider. I am afraid I don't have any pictures of it, but I will try to describe it as best I can. The head and thorax were black and very small compared to the abdomen, which was a very dark reddish brown. On the largest one we found the abdomen was actually very light in color, being a very dark cream color. When we disturbed them they curled their legs around the thorax, similar to the way a pill bug rolls up, and wouldn't move until we'd moved on. I didn't get close enough to see their eyes, so I can't tell you what they looked like. They ranged in size from about the size of a small raisin to nickel/almost quarter sized. They were oblong in shape and with their legs curled up, they could easily be mistaken for a pebble or small rock. I'm not sure if this is enough to ID it, but it's all I can remember.
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