DETAILS
- Discipline
NH: ZOOLOGY: INVERTEBRATES: CHELICERATES (SPIDERS, SCORPIONS, TICKS, HORSESHOE CRABS)
- Scientific Name
Theraphosa blondi
- Common Name
Goliath Bird Eating Spider
- Sex
male
- Age
adult
- Form
freeze-dried
- Description
-
This spider was kept as a pet by one of the natural history curators until it died of natural causes. It was then freeze dried to be used in a display. Despite its common name the goliath bird-eating spider is more likely to eat insects, frogs and lizards than birds. Although they have very large fangs they are not very venomous. Their main form of defence is to flick irritating hairs from their abdomens using their back legs, these hairs get into the eyes and mouths of any potential predators and can cause intense pain.
- ID Number
Z.2005.7
- Location
In storage
- Terms