The worlds largest spider. Sorry, I cant post pics.

[the ringo kid]

Anyway, just read an interesting article someone posted about his trip to some South American jungle. He had a pic of a large brown-haired spider that is the size of a Puppy. This ugly thing--which looks like a giant tarantula--is called the South American: Goliath birdeater(Theraphasa blondi) and this ugly beast has fangs that are 2 inches long! Being bitten by that thing-would be akin to having two large nails stuck in ya.

These large spiders are old news (for me) because I had a friend who had a black one--which looked like a large black tarantula.

 

[6518John]

Texas Brown

My son and I caught an adult male Texas Brown Trantula on the far eastern edge of the Ouchiata Mountains here in Arkansas. That is about as far east as they occur in the US. They den-up with a female in the fall (when we caught ours) when you frequently see them on the move. The males then die. We were lucky to keep ours two years. He would eat small mice, insects, etc. Once we got him use to being handled he would climb right up your arm and sit on your shoulder!

We took him to show and tell to my son's third grade class and we purposely agitated him to show-out for the kids and he bit a chunk out of a number two pencil. The teacher called me that afternoon to thank me for bringing him and they mounted the pencil on a piece of cardboard like the head of a big buck. The little girl to whom it belonged said it had "Trantula Juice" on it and would not use it anymore!

I had a female growing up and had her 15 plus years! The females can live a long time. I brushed her with a tooth-brush and she would raise her legs on whichever side you were brushing to let you get her "belly." It was like losing a family member when she finally passed.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_brown_tarantula

 

[handejector]

Once we got him use to being handled he would climb right up your arm and sit on your shoulder!

Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh........
Not me.
I'm not an arachnophobe. There's just no love lost between us.

I've had two or three spider bites in my life. Don't know if they were black widows or brown recluse or something smaller. They weren't really serious, but they did take months to fully heal.

 

[6518John]

Tarantulas are not poisonous like those bad boys you mention (a wise person does not fool with them) but they will bite the [insert favorite bodily function or vulgarity] out of you if you don't know how to handle them. Between us, they will bite you even if you do!

 

[mc5aw]

Here's some info on the Goliath (courtesy of livescience.com):

Goliath Birdeater: Images of a Colossal Spider

The Goliath is also known as the "12 gauger" because you best have an 870 or 590A1 if you cross paths with a spider of such frightening size.

 

[6518John]

Believe it or not, I think you can order them as aquarium spiders too.

Yep! I was right--http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/tarantulas/goliath-bird-eating-tarantula-for-sale.html
I bet Lee and some of your wives would like a NEW PET!

http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/tarantulas/goliath-bird-eating-tarantula-for-sale.html

 

[federali]

Brave Souls

You guys are a lot braver than me. Any spider over the size of a quarter and I'm on my way to the gun safe. Now, a spider the size of a Buick (to quote Woody Allen) requires an airstrike, collateral damage notwithstanding.

 

[dcxplant]

Is'nt that bird eater spider in a Harry Potter movie? ��

 

[rwsmith]

I believe they are called birdeaters.....

I believe they are called birdeaters because if a bird flies over them they can jump and catch it.

 

[6518John]

I think they are called "birdeaters" because they can eat a bucket of yardbird* fried extra crispy!

["Yardbird" is a chicken for you in the north and west.]

 

[Kinman]

I watched an article on the natives of the area those big spiders live, they catch them and throw them on the fire, flipping them over and over until they are done. I guess when the body cracks open they are done. Then they sat down and ate it with gusto, the white guy that was along for the ride said the taste and texture reminded him of crab or lobster.

 

[6518John]

I just noticed from the link "This species can live up to 25 years, and was given its name when early explorers witnessed one eating a hummingbird."

 

[mc5aw]

I just noticed from the link "This species can live up to 25 years, and was given its name when early explorers witnessed one eating a hummingbird."

Think about those explorers' reaction to such a creature, without the modern day knowledge we possess.

 

[rags]

Here's some info on the Goliath (courtesy of livescience.com):

Goliath Birdeater: Images of a Colossal Spider

The Goliath is also known as the "12 gauger" because you best have an 870 or 590A1 if you cross paths with a spider of such frightening size.

 

[6518John]

Think about those explorers' reaction to such a creature, without the modern day knowledge we possess.

I would have come home!

 

[9mmBiscuits]

 

[captorquewrench]

I have a salmon pink birdeater which gets almost as big as the Goliath. I dont feed birds but do give a little mouse every few months. Yes they are both easily kept as exotic pets and most females live 25 or more years. .males 5 or so. New World species are fairly even tempered. I had a Golden Sunburst tarantula which was wicked fast and exceptionally grumpy. In the spider world we refer to them as OBTs...orange bitey things.

Love my tarantulas. I've narrowed my menagerie to 3.

 

[snubbyfan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klHDzIIrsjY

 

[soFlaNative]

Think about those explorers' reaction to such a creature, without the modern day knowledge we possess.

Probably didn't fool around... quick detailed sketch then pressed between the leaves of a book.
Or not.

 

[handejector]

Believe it or not, I think you can order them as aquarium spiders too.

Yep! I was right--http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/tarantulas/goliath-bird-eating-tarantula-for-sale.html
I bet Lee and some of your wives would like a NEW PET!

Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula for Sale

Aquarium?
I like the way you think.
Do you put the spider or the water in first?