Here is Becky’s first spider update. Spiders make you go urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and do a shiver. This update is about the GOLIATH BIRDEATER. It is the biggest spider the world and is a type of tarantula. This picture is life size – they are very big.

They can grow to up to 12 inches across. Urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. There are no recorded incidents of a tarantula bite killing a human but other animals like dogs, cats and cows are much more susceptible.

It is quite common in the places they are for these types of animal to be killed by these types of spider. They also like to eat mice and are the only spiders big enough to do this.

Goliath Birdeaters do not eat birds so that was bit of mistake to call them that. They do eat bats and frogs though and also crickets

Spiders are high in protein! The Piaroha tribe in Venezuela collect Goliath Birdeater tarantulas and roast them over hot coals, eating them as if they were big hairy crabs … carefully avoiding the large fangs and the poison sacs. The fangs are later used as toothpicks.

These spiders are described as highly aggressive and should not be handled. Their legs are very hairy and each hair has got a toxin in it which gives you a rash if it touches your skin. I very much don’t want to ever find one I my bed and if I did have a good plan for how to make sure it doesn’t get me.