The Goliath Bird Eating Tarentula
Goliath bird eating spider is known to be the largest spider in the world by mass and second only to Giant Huntsman spider by leg span. They are called Bird eaters because of an early 18th century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla depicting one as eating a Hummingbird but they actually don’t prey on birds.
Goliath bird eating spider are terrestrial and deep burrows living creatures found commonly in marshy or swampy areas. They can grow to as huge as 11 inches and weighing more than 170 grams – about as much as a young puppy. Their fangs can grow as much as an inch long and is found in the remote rain forests of South America. These are big, scary and ugly creatures which can be our worst nightmares if we see one in our backyard. Its hairy and perfectly adapted to their habitats making them a killing machine, mostly active in night. They are not attacking predators but wait for their prey to ambush them.
At the entrance of their burrows Goliath Birdeater lays down a mattress made of their web which acts as a strip wire letting it know if something is close enough within range. Even with eight eyes they do not have a good eye sight because of which they have to rely on other senses such as their hair. Their body is covered with sensitive hair which senses any vibration in the air if there is some hapless creature nearby! Their diet generally consists of insects and other invertebrates and because of its size it can also hunt down many vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, bats and even venomous snakes.
The females mostly mate and may sometimes end up eating its own mate. They mature in about three to fours year and have an average life span of 15-25 years while males die soon after maturity with an average life span of three to six years.
Goliath bird eating spider’s large fangs are huge enough to penetrate into Human skin although their venom are completely harmless to us.
