The phryganic and maquis shrublands form the most typical vegetal formations in the Eastern Mediterranean that since thousands of years have been subject to various types of anthropogenic disturbance, including grazing. We studied the impact of sheep and goat grazing on 50 assemblages of ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) in phryganic, maquis and forest habitats from zero to 2000 m elevation on Crete, Greece using pitfall traps for one year at each sampling site. In total, 58 gnaphosid species and 16,592 individuals were collected. Cretan endemic Gnaphosidae were negatively affected by intensive grazing and, contrary to findings on other taxa studied on the island, they were sparse and rare throughout the study area. The species composition of gnaphosid assemblages was primarily determined by elevation. Trachyzelotes lyonneti, Urozelotes rusticus, Zelotes scrutatus, Anagraphis pallens and …