There's no need for this at all

Locutus

Adorable Deplorable
Jun 18, 2007
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seriously...GTFO...if there are that many excess birds, let's organize a minigun hunting day or whatnot but we don't need these fukkers around no more no more, don't need them around no more.

*yes, sounds all gay and flaily and everything but STILL!...don't tell me you like these goddamn things either you lying bastards.



'RIDICULOUSLY HUGE': The birdeater has a leg span of about 30cm and weighs up to 170g.


The South American Goliath birdeater is the spider of many people's nightmares, but encountering one of the puppy-sized critters in a dark rain forest in Guyana was a dream come true for entomologist Piotr Naskrecki.

The largest spider in the world, the birdeater has a leg span of about 30cm, weighs up to 170g, and hardened tips and claws on its feet that make a clicking sound when it walks.

Naskrecki was looking for katydids the night he encountered a Goliath. He had turned his headlamp off to concentrate on listening when he heard the sound of an animal running in complete darkness.

"I could clearly hear its hard feet hitting the ground and dry leaves crumbling under its weight. I pressed the switch and pointed the light at the source of the sound, expecting to see a small mammal, a possum, a rat maybe," Naskrecki recounted in his blog The Smaller Majority.

"And at first this is what I thought I saw – a big, hairy animal, the size of a rodent."

But something was not right, so within a second the entomologist was lunging at the spider, "ecstatic about finally seeing one of these wonderful, almost mythical creatures in person".

"Goliath birdeaters are ridiculously huge for a land arthropod," Naskrecki said.

"Every time I got too close to the birdeater it would do three things. First, the spider would start rubbing its hind legs against the hairy abdomen. 'Oh, how cute!', I thought when I first saw this adorable behaviour, until a cloud of urticating hair hit my eyeballs, and made me itch and cry for several days." Urticating hair contained microscopic barbs.

"If that wasn't enough, the arachnid would rear its front legs and open its enormous fangs, capable of puncturing a mouse's skull, and tried to jab me with the pointy implements. The venom of a birdeater is not deadly to humans but, in combination with massive puncture wounds the fangs were capable of inflicting, it was definitely something to be avoided.

"And then there was a loud hissing sound."


more fun


World's largest spider 'the size of a rodent' | Stuff.co.nz
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
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Red Deer AB
Where were they when Canada's skies were black from birds migrating. With the extra food these bables would be big enough they would be easier to shoot than some bird on the wing. Leg night instead of wing night.

Little work and you could end up being a published song writer. "around no more no more, don't need them around no more."
 

Locutus

Adorable Deplorable
Jun 18, 2007
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this isn't funny...I probably won't sleep right for days. fuk sakes. not funny. at all. nope.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
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Red Deer AB
I'm pretty sure by posting the OP you are responsible for your own night terrors. Spiders aren't on my list of likes and that was via holding a 'pet' Black Widow. How many more hours before nappy time, I'll try to post a puppy pic or something just before you nod off.

Yep, about that size is way the fuk too big. (caged or not)
 

Locutus

Adorable Deplorable
Jun 18, 2007
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ok, I was wrong...turns out I slept just fine...have you heard that ebola might be going around?
 

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
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Human Planet is a brilliant 2011 BBC nature series narrated by the actor John Hurt. Whereas most nature series are about elephants, lions, seals, birds, fish, crabs, insects etc, Human Planet is all about a species that most nature series forget about - humans.

In one episode of the series, a group of humans (the young Orlando and his friends) go into the Venezualan jungle in search of a tasty snack - the venomous Goliath birdeater, the second largest spider in the world (by leg-span it is second to the giant huntsman spider), and maybe the largest by mass. Orlando and his friends have to dodge the irritating hairs that the giant spiders release to defend themselves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ra4WmE-joMQ
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
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I saw one of those spiders at the bug zoo. It was large. Totally cool looking.

Because of the toxicness of their venom we weren't allowed to hold it. Instead we got to hold a old fashioned friendly tarantula.

did you know tarantula have 'hair' spears? They can shoot 'hairs' at you, that will embed in your skin and itch like hell?

That's what I was told while holding the friendly tarantula. They said "try not to breath on her". Guess I was putting my face too close to the spider. It's not like I was going to try and kiss it or anything.

Spiders are pretty amazing things. Especially when they get that big. Imagine....you could play tag with something that big.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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I did not know a spider of that size existed...I likely could have lived the rest of my life quite happily not knowing a spider of that size existed....that is one massive spidey
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
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I did not know a spider of that size existed...I likely could have lived the rest of my life quite happily not knowing a spider of that size existed....that is one massive spidey

You could put a leash and collar on it and call it Fido.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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You could put a leash and collar on it and call it Fido.

it's certainly furry enough....the 10 eyes are off putting though hard to snuggle with something that is staring at you from every direction
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
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it's certainly furry enough....the 10 eyes are off putting though hard to snuggle with something that is staring at you from every direction

Staring but not judging...

lol. think I creeped myself out a bit there.