Lyla Lindsey
The bird-eating spider, also known as the Australian Tarantula, is one of the largest spiders in Australia. It is a type of Trapdoor spider and is closely related to the Barking Spiders of South America. The female bird-eating spider can reach sizes of up to 6.5 cm, while the male can grow up to 5 cm. They are known for making hissing and whistling sounds, which has earned them the nicknames barking spider and whistling spider. These spiders are widespread in Australia and can be found in various habitats, including deserts and rainforests. They are known to eat insects, lizards, frogs, small birds, and other spiders. Despite their name, they are not particularly dangerous to humans, but their bite can cause severe pain, headache, nausea, and vomiting.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Bird-Eating Spider |
| Scientific Name | Selenocosmia crassipes |
| Other Names | Barking Spider, Whistling Spider, Australian Tarantula, Eastern Tarantula |
| Habitat | Widespread in Australia, from deserts to rainforests |
| Diet | Insects, lizards, frogs, small birds, other spiders |
| Prey Method | Pouncing and injecting venom |
| Food Digestion | Rely on digestive juices to dissolve food |
| Size | Up to 6.5 cm (body size) for females, up to 5 cm for males |
| Leg Span | N/A |
| Lifespan | Males: 4-5 years, Females: up to 30 years |
| Behaviour | Aggressive, may bite when provoked |
| Venom | Not fatal to humans but can cause severe pain, headache, nausea, and vomiting |
| Breeding | Females lay eggs in a silk-lined burrow |
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What You'll Learn
The Bird Eating Spider is native to Australia
The Bird Eating Spider is a type of Theraphosid spider, which are the world's largest spiders. They are known for their aggression and powerful builds. The Australian species are slightly smaller than their South American counterparts but still impressive in size. The Bird Eating Spider is long-lived, with males living for 4 to 5 years and females for several decades.
These spiders are widespread in Australia and can be found in various habitats, from deserts to rainforests. They make their permanent homes in tunnels about 3 cm in diameter, extending 50 cm or more into the ground, with a small chamber at the bottom. They are also found under natural debris, such as wood or corrugated iron, or among rocks.
Bird Eating Spiders are carnivores and, as their name suggests, have been known to eat small birds. However, their diet primarily consists of insects, lizards, and frogs. They kill their prey by pouncing on it and injecting venom, as they do not have teeth. They rely on their digestive juices to break down their food. A well-fed Bird Eating Spider can go for months without eating, but they typically need to eat regularly.
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They are also known as Whistling or Barking Spiders
Bird-eating spiders, or Australian tarantulas, are also known as Whistling or Barking Spiders. This is due to the hissing or whistling sound they make when they feel threatened or disturbed. The sound is produced by the spider rubbing its palps with its fangs, or by rubbing the spines on the basal segments of their palps (front pair of limb-like sensory/mating organs) against the opposing spines on their jaw bases.
The scientific name for the bird-eating spider is Selenocosmia crassipes, or Phlogius crassipes. It is native to the east coast of Queensland, Australia, and is the largest spider in the country. It has a body length of 6-9 cm and a leg span of up to 22 cm, though some sources state that its leg span can reach up to 200 mm. The female bird-eating spider is larger than the male, with a body length of up to 55 mm compared to the male's 40 mm.
Bird-eating spiders are a type of Trapdoor spider and breed similarly. Females live up to 30 years, while males live up to 8 years. They spend most of their lives in or near their silk-lined burrows, which can be up to 2 meters deep. The female lays her eggs in an egg sac stored in the burrow, which is protected by a tough cover of silk.
Despite their name, bird-eating spiders do not commonly eat birds. Their diet consists mainly of insects, lizards, frogs, and other spiders. They kill their prey by pouncing on it and injecting venom, but they rely on digestive juices to dissolve their food as they do not have teeth.
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They are one of the largest spiders in Australia
The Bird Eating Spider, also known as the Eastern Tarantula, is one of the largest spiders in Australia. Its scientific name is Phlogius crassipes, and it is closely related to the Barking Spiders of South America. This spider species is a type of Trapdoor Spider, and they breed similarly to the Trapdoor. The female lives up to 30 years and spends most of her life in or near her silk-lined burrow. The male, on the other hand, leaves his burrow as an adult to mate and can survive to breed for two seasons before dying.
The Bird Eating Spider is a giant, with a body length of up to 55 mm for females and 40 mm for males. They are known for making hissing and whistling sounds, earning them the nicknames "Barking Spider" and "Whistling Spider." Their bite is venomous, but it is not lethal to humans, although it can make you quite ill. These spiders are capable of killing and eating small birds, rodents, frogs, and insects.
The Giant Green Huntsman Spider (Typostola barbata) is another contender for the largest spider in Australia, with a leg span of over 200 mm. Huntsman spiders are long-legged and mostly grey to brown in colour, sometimes with banded legs. They are found in various habitats, including under loose bark, in rock crevices, and even inside houses. While they are large, they are not typically aggressive towards humans.
In conclusion, the Bird Eating Spider is undoubtedly one of Australia's largest spiders, with a substantial size, a venomous bite, and a diverse diet that includes small birds. However, it is important to note that Australia is home to several other large spider species, such as the Giant Green Huntsman, which also impresses with its size and presence.
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They are part of the Trapdoor spider family
The Bird Eating Spider, also known as the Australian Tarantula, Barking Spider, or Whistling Spider, is part of the Trapdoor spider family. Trapdoor spiders are known for constructing burrows with silk-hinged doors to help them ambush prey. While not all trapdoor spiders build a door for their burrows, those that do create highly camouflaged entrances that are almost undetectable.
Trapdoor spiders include the Funnel-web, Mouse, Whistling/Bird Eating/Barking, and Curtain-web spiders. They are found in various parts of the world, including South America, Australia, the United States, Japan, and tropical and subtropical regions. The newly discovered Euoplos dignitas, a giant trapdoor spider species found in Central Queensland, Australia, is an example of a trapdoor spider that constructs its burrow with a silken-hinged door.
The Bird Eating Spider is one of Australia's largest spiders, with a body length of up to 55 mm in females and 40 mm in males. They are long-lived, with females surviving up to 30 years. Like other trapdoor spiders, they spend most of their lives in or near their silk-lined burrows, capturing prey such as insects, lizards, frogs, and occasionally small birds in the surrounding area.
Bird Eating Spiders are known to breed similarly to other Trapdoor spiders. The female lays her eggs in a special part of the burrow, producing an egg sac made of tough silk containing 48 translucent, rich yellow eggs, each about 2 mm in diameter. She carries the egg sac until the young emerge and then cares for them until they leave the burrow. The male leaves his burrow as an adult to find a mate and can survive to breed for two seasons before dying.
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They are not limited to Australia
Bird-eating spiders, also known as the Australian Tarantula, are not limited to Australia. They are found in other parts of the world, including South America, where they are known as Goliath Bird-eating spiders. These spiders are closely related to the Barking Spiders of South America and belong to the same family as the famous American Tarantulas.
Bird-eating spiders are widespread in Australia and can be found in various habitats, including deserts and rainforests. They are commonly found in upper Queensland and the Northern Territory. However, they are not exclusive to Australia, and their presence in other parts of the world is well-documented.
In terms of size, the Australian Bird-eating spider can reach sizes of up to 6.5 cm for females and 5 cm for males, including the body and legs. While this makes them one of the largest spider species in Australia, they are slightly smaller than their South American cousins, which can have a leg span of over 30 cm and fangs 2.5 cm long.
Bird-eating spiders are known for their aggressive behavior and powerful venom, which can be deadly to cats and dogs. They make a distinctive hissing or whistling sound by rubbing their palps with their fangs, earning them the nickname of "whistling" or "barking" spiders.
In summary, while Bird-eating spiders are commonly associated with Australia, they are not limited to this continent and can be found in other parts of the world, particularly in South America. Their large size, aggressive nature, and potent venom make them a notable member of the spider family, regardless of their geographic location.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, bird-eating spiders are found in Australia. They are also known as the Australian Tarantula, Barking Spiders, or Whistling Spiders.
Bird-eating spiders eat insects, lizards, frogs, small birds, and other spiders. They capture their food near their burrows and rely on digestive juices to dissolve their food since they do not have teeth.
Bird-eating spiders are one of Australia's largest spiders, with females reaching up to 6.5 cm in body size and males up to 5 cm. Their leg span makes their overall diameter much larger.
Bird-eating spiders are venomous and aggressive. While their bite is not fatal to humans, it can cause severe pain, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. However, their bite can be deadly for cats and dogs.
