Goliath birdeater
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| Goliath Bird-eating Spider | ||||||||||||||||
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 Theraphosa blondi, adult female
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| Theraphosa blondi (Latreille, 1804) |
The Goliath Bird-eating Spider (also called the Goliath Birdeater) (Theraphosa blondi) is an arachnid belonging to the tarantula family, Theraphosidae, and is generally considered to be the largest spider (by leg-span) in the world. The spider was named by explorers from the Victorian era, who witnessed one eating a hummingbird and reported the sighting to the Western world.[1]
Native to the rain forest regions of northern South America these spiders have up to a 10 inch leg span and can weigh over 120 grams (4.2 ounces). Wild Goliath birdeaters are a deep-burrowing species, found commonly in marshy or swampy areas, usually living in burrows that they have dug or which have been abandoned by other burrowing creatures.
Females mature in 2.5 to three years and have an average life span of 15 to 25 years. Males die soon after maturity and have a lifespan of three to six years. Colors range from dark to light brown with faint markings on the legs. Birdeaters have hair on their bodies, abdomens, and legs. The female lays anywhere from 100 to 400 eggs, which hatch into spiderlings within two months.
Birdeaters are one of the few tarantula species which lack tibial spurs, located on the first pair of legs of most adult males, which serve to keep the fangs of the female immobilized during mating, so that the female doesn't eat the male.
The Goliath birdeater is fairly harmless to humans, as are most species of tarantulas. Like all tarantulas, it has fangs large enough to break the skin of a human (1 to 2.5 cm [0.4 to 1 in]). They do carry venom in their fangs and have been known to bite humans when threatened, but the venom is relatively harmless and its effects are comparable to those of a wasp's sting. Also when threatened these tarantulas rub their abdomen with their hind legs and release hairs that are a severe irritant to the skin and mucus membranes. Tarantulas generally bite humans only in self-defense, and these bites do not always result in envenomation (known as a "dry bite"). The Goliath birdeater has poor eyesight and mainly relies on vibrations in the ground that it can sense from its burrow.
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[edit] Behavior
Birdeaters are defensive and may make a hissing noise when disturbed. This noise is called stridulation and is produced when the spider rubs the bristles on its legs together. Birdeaters can defend themselves by biting or by kicking urticating hair towards their perceived assailant. These hairs can be severely irritating to the skin and lungs, and have been reported to feel like shards of fiberglass. While feeding, the spider will turn and leave a web barrier to prevent interruption from other animals.
[edit] Diet
Despite its name, the goliath birdeater does not normally eat birds. As with other species of spider, (specifically tarantulas), their diet remains primarily of small insects such as crickets, beetles and beetle larvae. It is however an opportunistic hunter and so will feed on any appropriately sized mammals, rodents, reptiles or birds that come into its scope. A common generalization is that the goliath can and will eat anything smaller than itself.
The Goliath birdeater is one of the few tarantulas which can capture and eat a full-grown mouse.
