Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents with a shudder...the Mystery Animal of the Day

Older gnomelet asked..."Mama, what is the biggest spider in the whole world?"

And so for my curious gnomelet, Mama gnome presents the:

Goliath Bird-Eater Spider

photo by: universoarachnido.com


Goliath is an apt name for this tarantula for it can have a leg span of almost a foot long and inch long fangs.

They live in the rainforests of South America.

Though they are called bird-eaters, the Goliath Bird-eater's diet normally includes other insects, rodents, bats, lizards and "even deadly venomous snakes."

Tarantulas do have fangs but the venom is "relatively harmless and its effects are comparable to a wasp's sting."

But if you are like Mama gnome, would you really want to test this fact?

So here are warning signs for you to heed if you ever want to go exploring in a rainforest in South America.

If you hear a "hissing sound," do not be like a human from B horror movies and say, "What is that sound?" and go and investigate.

It is much more prudent for you to walk the other way for the hissing sound may be from a Goliath Bird-eater Spider that has been disturbed and is now rubbing the bristles on its legs together to warn off other animals.

Another thing to watch out for is if the spider aims its abdomen towards you. It might start to flick off its urticating hairs from its abdomen towards you.

Mama gnome urges you to duck and cover your face because the bristle hairs can irritate your eyes, skin and lungs. "They've been reported to feel like shards of fiberglass."

Now that Mama gnome has given you all sorts of warnings, here is something else to remember "tarantulas generally bite humans only in self-defense." So leave them alone and they will leave you alone.

And as it turns out just like Mama gnome, these spiders have "poor eyesight and mainly relies on vibrations in the ground that it can sense from its burrow."

One difference is Mama gnome mainly relies on her sense of smell and can usually find her way to the gnome house by the smell of baking cookies.

Here is the Goliath Bird-eater Spider

video from: NationalGeographic

But here's something you might not be aware of...just like the endangered jaguar of the Amazon rainforest, there are also species of spiders that are endangered or threatened.

According to the IUCN red list some of them are:

• Parambikulam Large Burrowing Spider: Endangered
• Finely Formed Parachute Spider: Endangered
• Rameshwaram Parachute Spider: Critically Endangered
• Peacock Parachute Spider: Critically Endangered
• Wonderful Parachute Spider: Endangered
• Reddish Parachute Spider: Endangered

And these are just from the Tarantula family, Mama gnome did not even list the other species of spiders that are also endangered.

The culprits for the spiders' critically decreasing population are:

"Loss of habitat, severe fragmentation and indiscriminate collection by pet traders"

Mama gnome urges humans to help protect these creatures as well.

They deserve a good home just like gnomes and humans do and they belong in the rainforest not in a glass or plastic container.

Now don't make Mama gnome start hissing and directing her hairy legs at you for some "urtication."

That would not be a pretty sight. It will indeed irritate your eyes.

So leave Mama gnome and Goliath Bird-eater spiders in their burrows alone and Go Green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog