The goliath spider belongs to the Theraphosa blondi family. Until 2001 it was called . A specimen with a leg span of 28 cm was discovered in Venezuela in 1965. At the beginning of 2000 in tropical forests Laos discovered the new kind– Heteropoda maxima. The length of the spider's legs is 2 cm longer than that of the goliath, but inferior in body size and weight.

Description of the appearance of Goliath

The body size of females is 1 cm, males – up to 70 mm. The span of the limbs reaches 28 cm. The legs are powerful, strong, covered with hairs. The color is light brown or dark. The paws are reddish-brown.

The entire body is covered in long, thick hairs. The abdomen is convex, round, protected by a dense shell. Attached to the cephalothorax, in the front part, there are long pedipalps, which look like another pair of limbs, chelicerae with fangs up to 2 cm. There are 8 eyes on the head, of which 2 are main, looking forward, the rest are auxiliary. A photo of the Goliath spider is presented below.

Interesting!

Despite its large size, the tarantula's vision is poor. He sees at a distance of 25 cm. Images appear to him in the form of shadows and silhouettes. However, the goliath quickly reacts to movement and determines the presence of prey by vibrations and smell. Auxiliary eyes help to quickly react to the approach of a victim or enemy.

Lifestyle, reproduction

The Goliath tarantula spider leads a solitary lifestyle and gathers in pairs only in mating season. Males determine the presence of a female by the smell that she actively spreads. Fights often take place between contenders, but the “lady” still chooses a partner.

Interesting!

A hungry female tarantula eats the gentleman even before he begins to court her, so he often brings her treats. A similar fate awaits him after mating if he does not manage to escape in time.

After fertilization, the female stops feeding and carries eggs for about 8 weeks. Then it forms, lays up to 500 eggs, and leaves it in a secluded place. Protects the clutch from enemies until the hatchlings appear. After about 2 weeks, spiders appear and crawl in different directions.

The habitat itself large tarantula limited to 4 countries South America– Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname, Guyana. Settles near water bodies or in forests with humid climate. Builds burrows in the soil, protecting the entrance with cobwebs. The depth of the labyrinths reaches 1 m.

Nutrition

The Goliath tarantula spider owes its name to the German entomologist Maria Merian. Traveling through the countries of South America, she saw a picture of how huge spider ate a hummingbird. The information immediately hit the press, and that’s how the name was attached.

The main diet of the Goliath spider:

• insects;
• snakes;
• beetles;
• small birds, chicks;
• frogs;
• toads;
• rodents;
• small arachnids.

The predator does not build trapping nets, does not weave webs, and prefers active hunting. Moves around the area, stalks prey. At the right moment, it instantly attacks, bites with long fangs, injects poison and its own saliva. The first substance paralyzes the victim, the second liquefies the insides. The goliath spider waits on the sidelines for some time; when the victim’s convulsions stop, it begins to eat.

Hunts in dark time days, sits in a secluded place during the day. This behavior is due to the presence large quantity natural enemies- family of cats and dogs. Defending itself from an attacker, the goliath tarantula turns its back to him and quickly sheds thin, spiky hairs containing poison. While the predator comes to its senses, the spider crawls away.

Interesting!

The goliath tarantula is not distinguished by aggressive behavior, it does not rush to attack at the sight of a person, but it betrays its unfriendly attitude by hissing. The bite is inflicted solely for the purpose of self-defense. By strength painful sensations it is compared to a wasp, a hornet. It is not life-threatening, but causes some discomfort.

Redness, swelling, and pain appear at the site of the bite. Young children, people with weak immune systems, and allergy sufferers experience worsening general well-being– dizziness, weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, fever. The condition returns to normal after a few days; antihistamines are taken to speed up the therapeutic effect.

Anyone who is afraid of spiders and does not like them will certainly be horrified by the goliath.

The tarantula is truly the most big spider in the world, thanks to which it can easily cope with large prey such as frogs, small rodents and even birds.

What this predator looks like, where it is found, whether it can be kept at home or should be feared - you will learn from the article.

Appearance, color and size

Tarantula spiders are a family of arachnids called Theraphosidae (the so-called “true tarantulas”), members of which were so named because of the nuances of the “first encounter”.

At the end of the 18th century, one of these spiders was spotted eating a hummingbird in a Venezuelan forest, and since then it has long been believed that they feed exclusively on birds. Well, “goliath” is an unofficial but widespread name for tarantula spiders of the species Theraphosa blondi.

Representatives of this species are considered the largest spiders on the planet, for which they were named after the famous biblical character, famous for his height and strength.

The average body size of a goliath is about 10 cm, but together with its thick hairy legs, the arthropod can reach 28 cm. Female individuals are traditionally larger than their “men” and seem much more massive than them.

Body color varies from light brown to reddish brown. The spider's body itself is represented by a connected cephalothorax and abdomen, covered with a dense chitinous exoskeleton.

It serves as reliable protection against various injuries and retains moisture in the body, which is especially important for species living in arid zones. The head and chest of the tarantula are protected by a shield-frame, and on its front part there are eyes (by the way, the arthropod has 4 pairs of them).

The organs of the digestive tract and reproductive system are located in the abdominal part, at the end of which there are arachnoid appendages (2–6 pairs).

Did you know? The largest tarantula spider found is considered to be Theraphosa blondi, whose limb span reached 28 cm (it was found in the 60s of the last century). However, he is not the only record holder in terms of size.Its competitor is a spider from the species Heteropoda maxima, which has a large limb span (up to 35 cm) but a smaller body.

Goliath, like other spiders, has 6 pairs of limbs, of which 4 pairs are used for movement, and two (chelicerae and pedipalps) are used for digging holes and capturing prey; they are located in the front and have small poisonous glands. All limbs are covered with hard hair.

Video: about goliath spiders

Range, habitats and lifestyle

The Goliath spider is a native of South America. It is found in Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, preferring warm and humid regions with marshy areas and ample food.

Tarantulas settle in forest thickets, digging themselves small holes in the ground, under the roots of trees, and strengthening them with cobwebs. With age, the lifestyle of these spiders may change, but not significantly: emerging from eggs in burrows, they remain there for almost their entire lives.

Did you know?The most terrible enemy of the tarantula spider is wildlife is a wasp spider that is 6 times smaller than its prey–7 times (with straightened paws its dimensions do not exceed 4 cm). This arthropod is safe for humans, but it can kill a goliath in a few minutes.

Goliaths lead a sedentary lifestyle (this is general characteristic for all varieties of tarantulas): well-fed individuals can remain in their shelter for several months. You can identify a goliath spider's hole by its entrance, which is densely covered with cobwebs.

What does it eat in the wild?

Like many other species of its relatives, the tarantula spider is a predator, which is easy to guess based on the name.

In addition to small birds, its diet usually includes:

• various types of cockroaches (in tropical zones they reach impressive sizes);
• Zophobas larvae;
• smaller spiders;
• crickets;
• mealworm;
• frogs;
• small lizards (rare).

Important! Woody varieties are very fond of flies and crickets, but cockroaches and other insects are completely ignored, which is worth considering when breeding at home.

The victim's body length should be slightly smaller sizes spider, but if a suitable object is absent, the predator will be satisfied with the found parts of the listed food.

Reproduction and offspring

Goliath spider reproduction problems natural conditions No. During the mating season, males are attracted to the pheromones released by the female, and often several “members of the stronger sex” fight for the attention of one young lady.

The choice of a partner depends only on the female, and in this matter she is very demanding. After mating, males die within a few months, and females lay up to 200 eggs (their gestation period is 8 weeks).

Under normal conditions, they need more food than males, but as soon as the egg sack appears, future mom may completely refuse food.

Males reach sexual maturity a little earlier than females, and the main signs of readiness for reproduction are the presence of “bulbs” appearing on the pedipalps (tentacles) and hooks located on the front legs.
Sexually mature individuals weave a so-called “sperm web”, after which they treat it with seminal fluid. During copulation, the male holds the female's chelicerae with his pedipalps and hooks, transferring sperm inside the partner's body.

After a successful process, he quickly leaves the female for fear of being eaten. After about 2 months, the pregnancy will end with a laid cocoon, which can contain from 50 to 200 eggs (this depends on the specific type of tarantula spider).

The new mother guards it for 1.5–2 months, until small spiders (nymphs) appear, leaving their shelter a few days after “birth.” From now on, the female’s mission is completed and she can prepare for the next cycle.

Poisonous or not

All varieties of tarantula spiders are poisonous in their own way, and if we are talking about a non-poisonous representative, then most likely we mean the low toxicity of its poison. Adult and healthy person the bite of this arthropod will not cause much harm, but small pets may die.
In addition, goliath is considered dangerous for small children and people suffering from allergic reactions to the toxin released with the poison.

Important! Not in all cases, when a spider bites, poison is released, but it is stored on the arthropod’s legs, which is why any contact with it must be done with gloves. Allergies usually result in severe itching, burning and general weakness.

Choosing and arranging a home

The first thing you should consider before buying a goliath is arranging a separate home for it, and if you plan to have a pair, then there should be two terrariums.

Video: setting up a terrarium for a tarantula spider Tarantula spiders should not be kept in groups as they are aggressive towards each other. The lifespan of females is longer, but males have brighter colors, due to which they are chosen more often.

Whatever gender you prefer, the requirements for the terrarium remain the same:

• it must be made of durable plexiglass;
• the dimensions of the tank should be several times greater than the parameters of its inhabitant (including the legs), and it is better that these are cube-shaped containers: for example, 20x20x20 or 30x30x30 cm;
• the lid of the terrarium must have ventilation holes with a diameter of 2–3 mm and adhere well to the tank (so that the spider cannot escape);
• When making your own, it is advisable to use silicone sealant.

It is worth paying attention to the arrangement internal space reservoir. If you are going to purchase terrestrial inhabitants that settle in burrows, you will have to pour a 15-centimeter layer of soil into the terrarium, which will provide the spider with conditions as close as possible to natural ones.

You can cover the bottom with less soil, but then you will have to place additional objects in the terrarium to serve as shelter for the goliath.
These could be parts of a pot for a flowerpot, fancy driftwood, or special decorative elements purchased at a pet store. Coconut filler (crushed coconut bark), which is sold in the same pet store, is ideal for the role of substrate.

The necessary conditions

The tarantula spider is a tropical resident, which means that at home it needs to create appropriate conditions as close as possible to natural environment his habitat.

Important!If possible, it is worth purchasing a special device from a hardware store that will measure the temperature and humidity in the tank with the spider. This way you can timely adjust the indicators to the required values.

Taking this into account, we need to focus on the following indicators:

• air humidity in the terrarium- 75–90% (if necessary, you can wet the inner walls of the tank with a spray bottle, be sure to install drinking bowls inside large area; reduced air humidity causes problems with shedding);
• temperature- ideal 28–30°C, but lower values ​​within 24–25°C are also acceptable (if the room temperature remains consistently low, you will have to use a heater, not forgetting that sudden temperature changes with changes of 7–10° C can kill pets);
• lighting- may be minimal, and it is better to place the terrarium itself in a shaded place (goliath is a nocturnal inhabitant and will experience stress in bright light).

Feeding

You already know what the tarantula spider eats in its natural habitat, but at home it is very difficult to choose its usual diet. You can replace some of its components with ready-made food from a pet store, and in summer time- supplement the menu with caterpillars, flies and grasshoppers.

Among the products in the pet store you should pay attention to:

• frogs;
• mealworms;
• locusts;
• small reptiles;
• Zophobus;
• marble cockroaches (one of the goliath’s favorite delicacies).

It is better not to give meat and meat products familiar to the human table, as this can lead to indigestion and even the death of the pet.

The water in the terrarium is changed every 1–2 days, and it is advisable to remove any leftover food immediately after the spider eats. One hearty breakfast can last a goliath for several days or even a week; However, young individuals cannot be fed less than once every 2–3 days.

Cleaning the terrarium

In order for the tarantula to always remain healthy and in good spirits, it simply needs to ensure cleanliness in the terrarium. Standard tank cleaning involves removing food debris and spider waste products, but always using long tongs and protective gloves.

This is especially true in cases where the goliath is not accustomed to handling and has a bad character. Small cleaning can be done once a week, but every 3-4 months you will have to do it complete cleaning terrarium, with replacement of the bedding layer.

Important!When contacting any surfaces on which traces of tarantula venom may remain, it is advisable to use gloves. This will help prevent itching and burning of the skin due to a local allergic reaction.

During cleaning, the spider should be transplanted into a temporary terrarium or other small tank with transparent walls.

So, keeping a tarantula spider at home is quite possible, but very troublesome. Some owners talk about the possibility of training a goliath, but in any case, do not forget that this is a wild animal and its behavior can be unpredictable.
Stay vigilant and always follow safety rules when interacting with such a pet.

Body size goliath tarantula can reach 10 cm, leg span - 28 cm, weight up to 150 g.

Habitat goliath tarantula: Northern Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname.

Appearance
Goliath tarantulas are the largest spiders in the world, females of which are on average 2 cm larger than males. Their body is dark brown and their legs are reddish brown. Spiders are completely covered with hairs, which detect the slightest vibrations and serve as an organ of touch, because. these arthropods have poor vision. In addition, the hairs on the legs serve as a means of protection against uninvited guests - the spider throws them off with a sharp movement, and they, in turn, when they get on the mucous membrane or body, cause severe irritation. One more distinctive feature This type of spider is characterized by the presence of poisonous fangs of incredible size - up to 2 cm in length.
Habitat and food
Goliath tarantulas live in the tropical forests of South America. They make their home in deep burrows, the walls and entrance of which are covered with cobwebs. They lead an active lifestyle mainly in the dark. Females are almost always in the hole and leave it only for mating or while hunting. Their prey is usually small rodents, frogs, lizards, small snakes, and insects. Spiders stalk their prey from ambush, then attack it and bite it with poisonous fangs. Their venom has a paralyzing effect, causing the victim to become immobile. Goliath tarantulas very aggressive arthropods and, when threatened, make sounds similar to hissing. For humans, their bite is not dangerous and the reaction is similar to a bee sting. Currently, the population of this species of spider is rapidly declining. This is due to the fact that they are a special delicacy among the locals.
Reproduction and lifespan
Females goliath tarantulas are distinguished by very developed maternal instinct. After mating, they immediately begin to make a cocoon for the eggs, while the males try to immediately hide from their eyes so as not to be eaten. The female spider lays about 200-400 eggs in a prepared cocoon and does not part with it for a minute, even during the hunt. After the little spiders are born, she looks after them for a couple of weeks, and after the first molt, the babies become completely independent. The lifespan of males can reach 6 years, females - 12 years.

Most often, people keep more or less familiar pets at home. In the first place, of course, are cats and dogs, in second are birds, in third are aquarium inhabitants (and not only fish, this also includes turtles, geckos, toads and frogs, although they are preferred, of course, less often than guppies and swordtails ). Spiders are probably at the bottom of the list of animals that people are willing to see next to them. Arachnophobia is a very common fear. However, if a person decides to equip a terrarium at home with arachnids, he usually likes the goliath tarantula most of all as an inhabitant. The main argument is that the size of the representative of these animals is clearly visible and represents a rather interesting object of observation.

How to choose a spider

In pet stores where it is sold, you can, of course, ask whether it was brought or received, so to speak, on the spot, but it is not a fact that the answer will be honest. Therefore, in any case, you will have to focus primarily on how the one you like looks like. The main sign of his health is mobility and activity. If the spider lies down all the time or tucks its limbs under itself, most likely it is sick, and seriously ill. The second version is that the specimen you looked at sheds. During this process, spiders can even fall onto their backs and straighten their legs. When a goliath tarantula molts, you should not take it - it then takes a long time to recover and is susceptible to disease. Add to this state of getting used to a new place - and you get a lot of problems.

A very telling sign is the condition of the abdomen. It should be round and elastic. Wrinkling indicates dehydration, which means you will again have to nurse your purchase.

Sometimes the goliath tarantula can show off broken legs. This fact scares off inexperienced owners, but in fact it is not an obstacle to the purchase: after a couple of lines they will recover. The main thing is that there are no open wounds on the paws.

Two more caveats. If you are not going to breed spiders, buy females - they live much longer. And don’t take too big ones - it’s quite possible that they’re already old.

How to equip your home

Most spiders are natural loners, as evidenced by the comparison “like spiders in a jar” (they cannot coexist peacefully). So it is better to leave the aquarium at the complete disposal of one individual. The container where the goliath tarantula spider will be housed can be either plastic or glass, it is important that it be closed - either with a tight lid or with doors. Spiders are excellent climbers on glass, so if you don't want your pet to get out, take care of it. The bottom should be covered with a bedding of gravel, moss, pine sawdust, best choice will become vermiculite.

Correct temperature and humidity

If you choose a goliath tarantula as a pet, keeping it requires, first of all, maintaining the correct living conditions. The temperature should fluctuate between 23-28 degrees. Reduced to 15 o Spiders can withstand it, but it’s better not to leave them in such extreme conditions for a long time. Especially if the goliath tarantula is full: low temperatures cause rotting in the stomach.

Humidity is equally important. If it is insufficient, the blond tarantula (or goliath tarantula) cannot molt, and if it becomes too dry, it dies altogether. Aquarium in mandatory equipped with a bath of water or a reservoir with moistened moss. If temporarily neither one nor the other is available, at least spray the litter every day.

Too high humidity, in turn, stimulates the development of mold, which affects the body and respiratory organs of spiders. So it is better to maintain a constant humidity of 75 percent.

Regarding lighting

Note that the goliath tarantula has very poor eyesight, but sees excellently in the dark. So it doesn’t matter to him what you use to illuminate his home. Low-voltage (up to 25 W) lamps or red light are quite suitable for observation. However, if there are plants in the terrarium, then a biolamp will be needed for their survival.

What, how and when to feed

The name "goliath tarantula" is misleading. The main food of these spiders is still large insects. When they reach a certain size, they are fed with naked mice and given small pieces of lean meat. Insects used for food should be no more than a third of the size of the spider, otherwise there may be problems with digestion. Since it lasts a long time (a day or even more), spiders are fed twice a week (grasshoppers, large cockroaches, crickets, while they are young and often molt. Adults feed once a week (sometimes less often). More often they are fed only before reproduction.

Uneaten food must be removed from the terrarium - if the spider is full, it may be frightened by the energetic movements of large insects, and in a molting goliath they may damage the soft shell.

If the spider does not eat, it means that it will either molt soon, or is full, or the aquarium is too cool.

Attention - shedding!

Spiders cannot do without it. At a young age, the exoskeleton changes frequently; adults molt about once a year. During the process they hardly move or eat. A day before the change of “skin” they generally freeze, lying on their back. No need to worry and check if your pet is alive, just wait. When the old “clothes” come off, there will be new, soft ones underneath; At the same time, the spider becomes completely defenseless. Normal humidity at such a moment is vital; if the air is too dry, the animal dies. It will not be eaten until the cover hardens, which lasts several days.

Giant spiders lived back in the era of dinosaurs and then their size was not something incredible. As for our time, you can still meet such spiders, although for many people meeting them will cause either panic or admiration.

Next we will talk about one of these spiders - the Goliath tarantula or Blond's theraphosis. He is one of the most big spiders in the world, since the length of its body in the leg span can reach 28 centimeters!

This formidable predator is quite widespread in the tropical forests of some South American countries, namely northern Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. It is most often found in damp, swampy areas.

The refuge for these spiders are deep burrows, which previously served as a home for small rodents until they met their current owner. The entrance to the burrow is protected by cobwebs, and all the walls from the inside are also shrouded in it. Females spend most of their lives here, coming out only at night to hunt and during mating. Leaving the house for a long time is not in their rules. Often spiders hunt nearby and drag the prey to their lair.

Spider burrow

And now a little about what these giants look like. Females, as always, are larger than males. The length of their body without legs reaches 9 cm, and for males - no more than 8-8.5 cm. If you take measurements with straightened legs, you can be horrified - after all, this is all 25-28 cm! Some lovers of exotic animals keep this giant at home, although he is not particularly friendly!

One such copy even made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the most major representative of its own kind. It was found in Venezuela in 1965. The length of his body with a leg span reached 28 cm.

Besides size, there is another difference between male and female. The males have small hooks on their front legs, with which he holds the female’s huge chelicerae during mating, saving his life in this way. The color of these spiders is most often dark brown, and there are reddish-brown hairs on their legs. Because of these numerous hairs, which also cover the entire body, these spiders are also jokingly called “fluffy”.

Hooks on the tips of the front legs of males

But this is not a decoration at all, but one of the means of protection against uninvited guests. The fact is, when these hairs get on the skin, lungs or mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, they cause severe irritation. In order for the “weapon” to reach its target, the spiders brush hairs from their abdomen in the direction of the enemy with sharp movements of their hind legs. In addition, they serve as an organ of touch for the spider. The hairs pick up the slightest vibrations of the earth and air. But they see poorly.

The entire body of spiders is covered with burning hairs

Another means of protection, and at the same time a tool for obtaining food, are huge poisonous fangs. Their length can be 1-2 cm and they easily pierce human skin. Before attacking a larger enemy, the spider makes loud hissing sounds, which are formed due to the friction of the chelicerae against each other.

Poisonous fangs
Fang length

For a long time It was believed that the venom of the goliath tarantula is very dangerous and most often leads to death, but it turned out that this was far from the case. The effect of a spider bite can be compared to a bee sting. A small swelling appears at the site, which is accompanied by quite tolerable pain. Although for allergy sufferers its bite can be dangerous.

Spider venom has a paralyzing effect on nervous system smaller prey, such as frogs, small snakes, insects, rodents, lizards and other small animals. The victim is unable to move after being bitten.

To eat, tarantulas inject digestive juice into the body of the “dinner”, which breaks down soft fabrics and allows the spider to suck out the liquid and eat the soft meat of its victim.

The most interesting thing is that the tarantula does not feed on birds. Well, if only in very rare cases, when a chick that has fallen from the nest gets in his way. The spider got its name thanks to the German entomologist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian, who was the first to sketch it. They show a spider eating a small hummingbird. This is where the name “tarantula” stuck to it. Official description This tarantula spider belongs to the entomologist Latreille (1804).

As for reproduction, female goliath tarantulas are very caring mothers. After mating, the males immediately move away before they are eaten, and the females begin to spin a small cocoon with a diameter of about 3 cm, where they later lay their eggs. Throughout their development, which is 6-7 weeks, the female does not leave her clutch unattended for a minute. Even during the hunt, she takes the cocoon with her. During this period, it is better not to meet with her, as they become very aggressive and can attack anyone they consider dangerous. After hatching, the small spiders remain in the burrow until the first molt.

Pauchata

The following information may seem a little wild to you, but among local residents these spiders are a delicacy and they use not only adult specimens, but also spider eggs. As a result, the population of these animals in their natural habitat is gradually decreasing.