Giant Spider

[najaesouljah]

I'm glad we don't have any spiders that big where I am from. I stay far away from the spiders

[Spacey]

A spider that size would be physically impossible. End of story...

The biggest spider is indeed the Goliath Bird Eater, which gets to a legspan of about 30cm, sometimes a little bigger.

Mygalomorphs are he biggest spiders, like tarantula's, bird eaters, trapdoor's, and there are several issues with their size. They can't jump, because their exoskeletons are too heavy. If they fall more than say, 8 inches, they will die because they'll crush their insides.

Spiders can't grow to Eight-Legged-Freak size. It's quite impossible. Their exoskeletons would crush them.

Also, the Iraqi Camel Spider stuff that someone brough up is actually an urban myth- The pic's that are circulated are taken out of proportion. The real thing are nowhere near as big as they look (they're only 6-8 inches). They are Wind Scorpions, so not even spiders (but still arachnids) and they're non-venomous.

Spiders are one of my obsessions, if you can get past the scare-factor they are really interesting, misunderstood creatures. And this is coming from someone who shares her home with 2 of the most deadly spiders in the world (Gotta love Australia!)

NB- Edited for typo's...

Edited April 27, 2006 by Spacey

[thenightspider]

The biggest spider in the world is the goliath spider. One of it's leg's can grow up to 18 inches long. That's pretty huge. They're found in africa and they eat them for dinner there. Basement spiders are the biggest in north america i think. Mostly found in Canada. I've never seen one but they're supposedly the size of someone's head and they're dark black.

Hahahah Monkey eating spider! *giggles* I love spiders!!!! I want a monkey eating spider goddamnit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People in tribes do eat spiders. They make omelettes out of their eggs and eat them on a leaf.

Poor spideys.......

Though the bird eating spider is the biggest as far as I do know.

Sorry I don't think it exists. *giggles*

Edited April 27, 2006 by thenightspider

[Maelstrom5]

I hear something about a spider called the "Monkey Eating Spider" or something that is bigger then any tarantula (and from the descripition it's not one) that has like some pincher type things and lives in India or Indonesia or something and is occasionally killed by hunters. Anyone ever hear of this before? I'm thinking it might not be real cuz I couldn't find anything on it anywhere. My fiancee's sister's fiancee told me about it.

Never heard of it, but they're discovering new species every day. The largest one I've heard of is the bird-eater, about as big as a dinner plate. Big enough to scare the crapola out of me. You could probably use three jumbo-sized cans of Raid on that sucker & it would just shake it off.

Spiders... blecchh....

Edited April 27, 2006 by Maelstrom5

[Maelstrom5]

Hahahah Monkey eating spider! *giggles* I love spiders!!!! I want a monkey eating spider goddamnit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People in tribes do eat spiders. They make omelettes out of their eggs and eat them on a leaf.

Poor spideys.......

Though the bird eating spider is the biggest as far as I do know.

Sorry I don't think it exists. *giggles*

I read somewhere online that if spiders were the size of cats, they'd rule the earth.

Just something to think about...

[ancondatm]

Your mixing 2 species.

Theres the Goliath Bird Eating Spider. And then theres the Monkey Eating Eagle, otherwise known as the Philippine Eagle.

Goliath Bird Eating Spider(Theraphosa apophysis)

http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/T-apophysis.html

Monkey Eating Eagle/Philippine Eagle(Pithecophaga jefferyi)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Eagle

http://aviary.owls.com/monkey_eating_eagle...key_eating.html

No monkey eating spider.

[Tone]

A spider that size would be physically impossible. End of story...

The biggest spider is indeed the Goliath Bird Eater, which gets to a legspan of about 30cm, sometimes a little bigger.

Mygalomorphs are he biggest spiders, like tarantula's, bird eaters, trapdoor's, and there are several issues with their size. They can't jump, because their exoskeletons are too heavy. If they fall more than say, 8 inches, they will die because they'll crush their insides.

Spiders can't grow to Eight-Legged-Freak size. It's quite impossible. Their exoskeletons would crush them.

Also, the Iraqi Camel Spider stuff that someone brough up is actually an urban myth- The pic's that are circulated are taken out of proportion. The real thing are nowhere near as big as they look (they're only 6-8 inches). They are Wind Scorpions, so not even spiders (but still arachnids) and they're non-venomous.

Spiders are one of my obsessions, if you can get past the scare-factor they are really interesting, misunderstood creatures. And this is coming from someone who shares her home with 2 of the most deadly spiders in the world (Gotta love Australia!)

Good post!

I agree with your last paragraph, however I'm still workin on the whole "get past the scare-factor" ...

[Fairy bye bye]

I really love this site, but i'm regretting reading this thread oooooooohhh so creepy not a great fan of spiders myself, but i do appreciate them in a way.

Got to go now its making my skin crawl, i shall sleep well tonight.

Edited April 27, 2006 by fishka

[Spacey]

Thanks Tone.

When you think about it, spiders like Trantula's are the least of your worries. Their bites may hurt, but they're generally pretty docile and pretty harmless. Getting bitten would be like bee-sting to most people. A human is way more dangerous to it than the other way round.

I can never kill spiders! I have to catch them and put them outside I've been doing it since i was a kid and it kinda freaks people out...lol. All you need to do is put a glass or bowl over it, slip a peice of paper or cardboard underneath and put it outside. Much nice than squishing it..

I keep a Bird Eating Spider, and also a sydney Funnel Web and have a Redback living in my bathroom. Sydney Funnel Webs are extremely venomous, sceond in the world to the Brazillian Wandering Spdier, but I don't handle it or anything and the tank is secure. Redbacks are a variation of the Black Widow. She keeps to herself, and to be honest, i don't see the point in relocating her. She keeps the bugs under control...

I have no fear of Spiders- Cockroaches however... *shudder*.... I'm terrified

[Curunir]

I'll mention this story, someone might have said it already but i can't be arsed going through all 8 pages

Mr and mrs R.K.Lloyd were tarvelling in the DR of congo in 1938 when they spotted a large object in front of them on a jungle trail which they first took to being a cat. The creature on closer inspection was a huge spider the legs close to three feet long but this story could be b******s

1940's new guinea a soldier of the aussie army fighting the japanese near Kokoda trail crouched after a weary day near web some 10-15feet in each direction. He then saw a spider dangling infront of his face, jet black with the body of a puppy dog. It displayed more bulk than spread and had quite short legs. The soldier was apparently scared with the memory staying with him all his life

I think i would have kept my soiled pants as well after an incident like that!

there's more to the first story apparently...

"Firstly, to give you some background information: I first became aware of a giant ground-dwelling spider through Miss Margaret Lloyd, formerly of Rhodesia and now living in England. Her parents, Reginald and Margurite Lloyd were exploring the interior of the old Belgion Congo in 1938 when they spotted something crossing the jungle track ahead of them. At first they took the object to be a large jungle cat or a monkey on all fours. When they stopped their vehicle (an old Ford truck) to allow the animal to pass, they were thunderstruck to see that it was a very large brown spider, similar in its appearance to a tarantula, with a leg span of at least four or five feet. Mr. Lloyd trembled so much with excitment that he was unable to retrieve his camera in time to take a snap, and Mrs. Lloyd was so distraught that she wanted to return home (Rhodesia) immediately.

This creature is known as the J'ba Fofi;

J'ba meaning "great" or "giant"

Fofi meaning "spider" (spiders of all kinds are called Fofi)

Concerning the J'ba Fofi, it is said to build a lair with leaves, similar in appearance to a traditional pygmy hut, and spin a web between two trees with a trip line stretching across a small game trail. It feeds mostly on small forest antelope, birds, and anything else it can catch. They lay peanut-sized white eggs and the immature spiders are yellow with a purple abdomen, but turn brown as they mature. On questioning our group of six Baka guides, they have all seen these spiders at one times or another and state that they are quite capable of killing a human being. According to the Baka (and the Bantu hunters who have encountered them) the giant spiders were once surprisingly common and would often construct their lairs very close to human villages. They have become quite rare now thanks mainly to the deforestation of Central Africa, but my guess would be that they are still to be found in numbers in the vast and still untouched forests of the former Zaire where the Lloyds

encountered on in 1938. By the way, I have two wonderful photographs of the Lloyds, circa 1922 which I hope to use in a book one day. "

[Glen M. Usher]

there's more to the first story apparently...

"Firstly, to give you some background information: I first became aware of a giant ground-dwelling spider through Miss Margaret Lloyd, formerly of Rhodesia and now living in England. Her parents, Reginald and Margurite Lloyd were exploring the interior of the old Belgion Congo in 1938 when they spotted something crossing the jungle track ahead of them. At first they took the object to be a large jungle cat or a monkey on all fours. When they stopped their vehicle (an old Ford truck) to allow the animal to pass, they were thunderstruck to see that it was a very large brown spider, similar in its appearance to a tarantula, with a leg span of at least four or five feet. Mr. Lloyd trembled so much with excitment that he was unable to retrieve his camera in time to take a snap, and Mrs. Lloyd was so distraught that she wanted to return home (Rhodesia) immediately.

This creature is known as the J'ba Fofi;

J'ba meaning "great" or "giant"

Fofi meaning "spider" (spiders of all kinds are called Fofi)

Pretty much ties in with my earlier posting about the case of the Reverend Symes and the killing of his three porters by just such a beast.

I am unsure as to wether these creatures still survive, but there are reports from South America too and the wetlands of the southern USA as well as the the deserts of the south west of the USA.

How these creatures have overcome the limitations of their exoskeletons and the problems of their primative book - lung respiratory systems remains a mystery.

Concerning the J'ba Fofi, it is said to build a lair with leaves, similar in appearance to a traditional pygmy hut, and spin a web between two trees with a trip line stretching across a small game trail. It feeds mostly on small forest antelope, birds, and anything else it can catch. They lay peanut-sized white eggs and the immature spiders are yellow with a purple abdomen, but turn brown as they mature. On questioning our group of six Baka guides, they have all seen these spiders at one times or another and state that they are quite capable of killing a human being. According to the Baka (and the Bantu hunters who have encountered them) the giant spiders were once surprisingly common and would often construct their lairs very close to human villages. They have become quite rare now thanks mainly to the deforestation of Central Africa, but my guess would be that they are still to be found in numbers in the vast and still untouched forests of the former Zaire where the Lloyds

encountered on in 1938. By the way, I have two wonderful photographs of the Lloyds, circa 1922 which I hope to use in a book one day. "

[quasar_kid]

Hmm I'd like to see of those

[Samael]

Spiders that eat monkeys. The spider would have to be about a metre wide at the abdomen, and it would have a legspan of...ugh! I shudder to think... In the Carboniferous period, there were spiders the size of a human head, but...

Edited July 20, 2006 by Mister E.

[frogfish]

Spiders that eat monkeys

spiders don't eat monkeys

[Beggars]

i hate spiders,they scare the hell out of me,all bugs do,even ants

[Mal X]

this giant spider story is as dodgy as hell, if it had a 4 or 5 ft leg span it would be seen often; just like the Megalodon shark isn't seen either, and especially its web and home

now a spider with a 2ft legspan might go unnoticed, but not 4.5ft!

Edited July 19, 2006 by Mal X

[coldethyl]

now a spider with a 2ft legspan might go unnoticed, but not 4.5ft!

No...I'm pretty sure I'd notice that.....

[Samael]

spiders don't eat monkeys

I never said they did. It's completely impossible for a spider to get that big. Don't jump to conclusions, please Frogfish.

[Mal X]

this is the giant ``Chicken Eating Spider``, its the same size as Goliath.

this spider attacks at night but not on its own; as part of a team, it lives in the jungle of Peru

[Rhino]

Maybe it's a crab?

[gigglesmurf]

i bought a bird eating spider hes pretty kool

but a spider that can eat a monkey is pretty big

and its legs couldnt support its self

[silentsinger]

you know u eat like 10 spiders a year or something like that a year in your sleep, they go into your mouth as you sleep, u know when you waker up and your mouth is realy dry well thats cuz you eat a spider, well good protion and all, lol,

gotnert fungot nerta

Just a side comment... 10 spiders a year is a bit much hehe, as far as i know, it is more like 10 spiders in a lifetime... but not really sure how the people making these kind of "statistics", can possibly count how many spiders people swallow.

[Gladiator]

Never heard of a monkey eating spider. But i have heard of a larger, scarier, and more powerful CAMEL SPIDER!!!!

[dani10]

Ok, first of all, YES, there is a type of spiders that can eat monkeys....but not all kind of monkeys, only a kind of monkeys that are very, very small called "titi monkeys". The spider(tarantula) who can do this is the one named Theraposa blondi(aka Goliath) that can grow as much as 30 cms (i don't know how much this is in feet.....but i think it's a little less than a foot) and yes, they live in the Amazonian jungle.

edit: Just found a pic of it

http://www.guinessworldrecords.com/content...?recordid=51536

Edited August 7, 2006 by Daniella2310

[kenshinx]

Ok, first of all, YES, there is a type of spiders that can eat monkeys....but not all kind of monkeys, only a kind of monkeys that are very, very small called "titi monkeys". The spider(tarantula) who can do this is the one named Theraposa blondi(aka Goliath) that can grow as much as 30 cms (i don't know how much this is in feet.....but i think it's a little less than a foot) and yes, they live in the Amazonian jungle.

edit: Just found a pic of it

http://www.guinessworldrecords.com/content...?recordid=51536

have pic ? that will be cool.