Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula - Theraphosa blondi
"The Goliath Bird Eating Spider is one of the 300 species of tarantula living around the world. It is also the largest spider in the world with a legspan of 10 inches weighing more than 6 ounces.
The Goliath Bird Eating Spider feeds on frogs, small snakes, beetles, lizards, and even bats. Occasionally, these spiders will take young birds from the nest giving them their name "bird eater". The goliath sneaks up on its prey and pounces on it injecting it with poison from its venomous fangs.
Theraphosa blondi lives in the coastal rainforest regions of South America: Surinam, Guyana, and French Guiana.
The goliath is a very aggressive spider and it has many defense mechanisms for protecting itself. When threatened the goliath, like other tarantulas, has the ability to hiss loudly by rubbing the bristles on its legs together, called stridulation. They also can propel a cloud of hairs off their body at their attacker. These hairs are barbed an cause severe discomfort and irritation."
Photo thanks to ClipArt.com
| Travel Articles | Discuss South America on the Forum |
| Travel Planner | Photo Gallery |
Copyright © Bonnie Hamre 1998 - 2003
