The Goliath Birdeater

by Avery Snethen

Basic Info

The scientific name for the Goliath Birdeater is :

Theraphosa blondi

The Goliath Birdeater is usually the size of a dinner plate. Their leg span is normally 12 inches, they can weigh 2.5 ounces.

Habitat

The Goliath Birdeater lives in the rainforest of northern South America. The climate there is hot and humid. The Goliath Birdeater tends to live where it is very swampy and marshy. The tarantulas dig burrows or use old burrows that rodents left behind.

Diet

The Goliath Birdeater actually does not eat birds that often. Although, they often eat earthworms, small rodents, frogs, toads, lizards, and snakes.

As for predators, humans eat the Birdeaters as a part of a local cuisine in northern South America. The taste is said to be shrimp like. More predators are cheetahs and other medium/ large mammals and large snakes.

Breeding / Population

Like any other spider/ tarantula the Birdeater lays eggs. The female normally lays 50 eggs in a sack. 50% of the time the females kill their mate after mating with them.... The other 50% is full of lucky males who escaped from the females before they could kill them.

The population is unknown for the Goliath Birdeaters. Goliath Birdeaters are/were endangered. However, some people say that they now are not endangered, just shy.

Fun Facts

Goliath Birdeaters make noise with their legs
The only way a Birdeater can harm a human is by rubbing it's hairs on you... The hairs can irritate your skin badly!
The reason that Birdeaters are endangered is the pesticides that are used to kill their prey can get into them and kill them. (They get into them when the Birdeaters eat their prey.)