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Life in the Forest

Life in the River

The Insect World

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An Amazon Adventure (USA)

Bird-Eating Spiders (Tarantulas)

The Amazon rainforests are home to some of the world's biggest spiders, commonly known as tarantulas. They are very big, and are covered with hair. Ironically, the American spiders most commonly known as tarantulas really aren't tarantulas at all. The real tarantula spiders live in Southern Europe. The big bird-eating spiders look scary, but the truth is that they are docile and non-aggressive. Most aren't even capable of puncturing the human skin, though Amazon species reportedly can. A bite can make people sick, but no fatalities have ever been recorded. Amazon spiders have a body length of 9cm (3.6inches), and reaches 25cm (9.8 inches) including its large legs.

Most spiders just eat insects, but the bird-eating spider's large size allows it to tackle bigger animals. Its diet also includes lizards, small snakes, rodents, and small birds. Bird-eating spiders don't spin webs – they hide under stones, rotting bark, or leaves on the rainforest floor, waiting for animals to come past. When that happens, the spider jumps and strikes with its fangs. It tightly holds onto the animal while waiting for the venom to take effect. Repeated injections of venom turn the animal's insides into a liquid, which the spider then drains. The bird-eating spider's name comes from its habit of preying on birds. Small hummingbirds are its favourite, and it can sometimes be seen raiding nests where it attacks and steals hatchlings.

The bird-eating spider's most effective predator is a large species of wasp which injects its eggs into the spider's body. The larvae hatch inside the tarantula, paralysing it and feeding off it. In the Amazon rainforest, the spiders also fall victim to a killer fungus which grows on its body. This fungus affects the spider's brain and triggers it to climb upwards as high as it can – usually to the top of a blade of grass or small plant. Eventually the fungus paralyses the spider's body, and takes it over – using the body as nutrients to grow. After a while, the spider's body is completely covered with the fungus, and spores. Because it is in a high position, the spores fall downwards to land on other insects.