# Giant bird-eating spider goes global



## Harpo (Oct 23, 2008)

Giant bird-eating spider goes global


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## Nik (Oct 23, 2008)

Um, linky timed-out for me...

Never mind, I'll take three-- They'll make wonderful cat-toys.

( Our Boss-Cat, a lean, 10 kg tabby, has no problems killing sea-gulls, hawks, starlings, grey squirrels, full-grown alley-rats etc etc... ;-)


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## MontyCircus (Oct 23, 2008)

Awesome pictures!  Wow!


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## Overread (Oct 23, 2008)

that is a sscary spider

and one reason why you will never find me in Oz!


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## The Ace (Oct 23, 2008)

Ah yes, _nephilia, _the female is a hundred times the size of the male and they were the focus of the one attempt in history to farm silk as their large size gave a high yield of silk that was twice as strong as that of the silkworm.

The problem was keeping enough spiders fed so that they didn't eat each other, unsurprisingly, the whole enterprise bombed. 

They can give a painful bite in self-defence but they're hardly dangerous.


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## HoopyFrood (Oct 23, 2008)

It was a Golden Orb Weaver in the article. Paraphrasing what I can remember from reading it earlier, the article seemed to suggest that it was likely that the bird got stuck in the spider's web by accident, dying from fright or dehydration or something similar, and the spider decided not to pass up on such a feast...

OK, now I look like I'm talking random. Never mind, I was answering something that's been edited.


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## chrispenycate (Oct 23, 2008)

Do they do them big enough to take pigeons? Because, if so, I'll take an egg sack.


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## kyektulu (Oct 23, 2008)

I thought it was rather odd but it does say at the end of the article that the spider venom is unlikely to have killed the bird, more likely exhaustion, dehydration etc.
So its just scavenging spare goods.

With the title I was worried we had yet more alien insects inavding the UK shores...


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## The Ace (Oct 23, 2008)

The silk is immensely strong.  I remember, when I was helping out at Calder Park, one of these things escaped and I walked into some of the silk she'd strung across the room the next morning.

It took me ages to break free, a small bird wouldn't have a snowball's.


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## tangaloomababe (Oct 24, 2008)

Originally posted by Overread



> and one reason why you will never find me in Oz!


 
Come on Overread, there are not found all over Australia and this was an exceptionally oversized one at that.  Yes we have funnel webs but they are only found around Sydney (just don't visit Geoff) They are the nasty spiders all the others are fine besides there must be something scarey in Suffolk (animal that is)

Chris I wish pidgeons were that easy to get rid of, if that were the case we would be breeding them frantically.


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## Grimward (Oct 24, 2008)

Freda's secret diet is out, Ace!


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## tangaloomababe (Oct 24, 2008)

Very good Grim.


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## Overread (Oct 24, 2008)

tangaloomababe said:


> besides there must be something scarey in Suffolk (animal that is)


 
the only thing that comes close is probably my sister 
that and jumping spiders! they jump AT you!!


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## Fake Vencar (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm shivering just looking at it! That's the biggest spider I've seen, although the picture is very misleading I suppose. 

Put me off Oz forever!


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## kyektulu (Oct 26, 2008)

I would still gladly move to Aus... be there rather than UK anyway even if spiders ate birds. 

Abit of revenge on the arachnids part I guess


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## Scifi fan (Oct 27, 2008)

I only have one thing to say ... "Starship Troopers!"


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## kyektulu (Oct 27, 2008)

Scifi fan said:


> I only have one thing to say ... "Starship Troopers!"


 pmsl


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