Goliath birdeater spider
The Goliath birdeater spider is one of the biggest spiders in the world. It is a tarantula. It lives in burrows in swampy areas of northen South America. It eats insects, rodents, bats, small birds, lizards, frogs, and snakes. The spiders have fangs, but their venom is harmless to people. Hairs on their bodies can irritate human skin. Explorers named the spider when they saw one eating a hummingbird.
| Goliath birdeater spider | |
|---|---|
| |
| Theraphosa blondi, adult female | |
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Binomial name | |
| Theraphosa blondi | |
The female lays 100 to 200 eggs. The babies hatch in two months. The female spiders sometimes eat their mates. Females can live about 20 years, but males only live 3 to 6 years. These spiders can have a leg span of up to 28 cm (11 in) and a body length of up to 11.9 cm (4.7 in). They can weigh up to 175 g (6.2 oz).[1] The spider's living areas are threatened by real estate development.
References change
- ↑ Goliath Bird-Eating Spider Archived 2016-04-16 at the Wayback Machine, Arkive
Other websites change
- Caring for your Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula Archived 2013-10-31 at the Wayback Machine