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[Auctopus]

http://thesmallermajority.com/2014/10/08/the-sound-of-little-hooves-in-the-night/

The South American Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) is the largest spider in the world. For all the arachnophobes out there this is probably a good excuse to pave over large swaths of the Amazonian rainforest, but for the rest of us this species is one of biodiversity’s crown jewels.

Every time I got too close to the birdeater it would do three things. First, the spider would start rubbing its hind legs against the hairy abdomen. “Oh, how cute!”, I thought when I first saw this adorable behavior, until a cloud of urticating hair hit my eyeballs, and made me itch and cry for several days. If that wasn’t enough, the arachnid would rear its front legs and open its enormous fangs, capable of puncturing a mouse’s skull, and tried to jab me with the pointy implements.

A couple of years after my first encounter with Theraphosa blondi I was in South America again, walking alone at night in the rainforest of Suriname. Suddenly my foot brushed against something big and moving, and I nearly tripped.

Inb4, burn down the rainforest.

 

[John Kowalski]

so cute :3

 

[Kickz]

Start deforesting

 

[Camp Lo]

birdkiller. Wow.

 

[HeartlessNobody213]

Well that's a NOPE if I ever seen one.

 

[NinjaFridge]

Fuck. Off.

 

[Hypemaster]

I refuse to accept its existence.

 

[wildfire]

I'd put a leash on it, as long it wasn't poisonous.

[edit]

In response to threats, Goliath birdeaters stridulate by rubbing setae on their pedipalps and legs.[5] Also when threatened, they rub their abdomen with their hind legs and release hairs that are a severe irritant to the skin and mucous membranes. These urticating hairs can be harmful to humans, and the species is considered by some to have the most harmful tarantula urticating hair of all.[

Well I guess I won't have it as a pet.

 

[Stet]

Both of those photos look taken from such an angle as to make the spider look way bigger than it is.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

And he touched it?

Arghh!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[aygomyownroad]

These spiders are big but it kooks fake those pics to me I don't know why

 

[studyguy]

Nature was fun while it lasted.

 

[UberTag]

If only we could domesticate these little critters.
We could take them through the park on a leash and let them loose to chase squirrels.

 

[Auctopus]

These spiders are big but it kooks fake those pics to me I don't know why

I think the first one has a photoshoot-esque quality to it, haha.

 

[SimleuqiR]

the arachnid would rear its front legs and open its enormous fangs, capable of puncturing a mouse’s skull, and tried to jab me with the pointy implements.

NOPE. Just NOPE!

 

[evilromero]

...capable of puncturing a mouse’s skull.

Fucking christ on a stick. It's also almost big enough to ride.

 

[judhudson]

Source for article?

 

[N7Commander95]

I actually find the big hairy spiders quite cool. The only creepy ones too me are the ones like black widows. Thin terrifying ones.

Maybe im just mad though. I also find baby snakes adorable

 

[mackattk]

What is the link to the source?

 

[Hyunkel6]

A small army of those could take over a small town.

 

[Surface of Me]

Both of those photos look taken from such an angle as to make the spider look way bigger than it is.

Yup and we are talking pug puppies, right?


Also, anyone else come in the thread hoping it would be a sequel to the dog spider prank?

 

[OmegaSmash]

Fuck. Off.

.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

Sweet mother of motherfuck

 

[Mortemis]

Nature was fun while it lasted.

.

 

[Chichikov]

That's got to be a pretty tiny puppy.

Also -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCE7X_k9kls

 

[Couleurs]

For all the arachnophobes out there this is probably a good excuse to pave over large swaths of the Amazonian rainforest, but for the rest of us this species is one of biodiversity’s crown jewels.

No, fuck that, nuke the entire Amazon just to make sure we got all of them

 

[Village]

Can I keep it?

 

[Baconsaurus Rex]

HE NEARLY TRIPPED OVER A FUCKING SPIDER

 

[Deleted member 10571]

Picture's highly exaggerated, it's not much larger than most Tarantulas and it's quite a popular spider for home terrariums.

Thing's not rare, horribly dangerous or ginormous in the slightest.

That's it.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Where's the nuke area JPEG?

 

[DoubleD]

Imagine if that thing grew wings. Terror from above. I like the idea of flying spiders.

 

[zroid]

eradicate

 

[entremet]

Chihuahua puppies?

That thing isn't that big.

 

[Paracelsus]

Picture's highly exaggerated, it's not much larger than most Tarantulas and it's quite a popular spider for home terrariums.

Thing's not rare, horribly dangerous or ginormous in the slightest.

That's it.

It's still something you'd want to waste a Dragon's Breath on. Or six.

 

[Captainbojanglesiii]

I actually find the big hairy spiders quite cool. The only creepy ones too me are the ones like black widows. Thin terrifying ones.

Maybe im just mad though. I also find baby snakes adorable

That is actually really adorable.

 

[nailbombxx]

NOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

 

[Auctopus]

What is the link to the source?

http://thesmallermajority.com/2014/10/08/the-sound-of-little-hooves-in-the-night/

Sorry, added to the OP.

 

[Chichikov]

Picture's highly exaggerated, it's not much larger than most Tarantulas and it's quite a popular spider for home terrariums.

Thing's not rare, horribly dangerous or ginormous in the slightest.

That's it.

Pretty much -

Like all tarantulas, T. blondi have fangs large enough to break the skin of a human (1.9–3.8 cm or 0.75–1.50 in). They carry venom in their fangs and have been known to bite when threatened, but the venom is relatively harmless and its effects are comparable to those of a wasp's sting.​

I think they're cool animals, keep your nukes on hold.

 

[HylianTom]

Very cute. Keep doin' your thing, spider buddy!

 

[Auctopus]

Picture's highly exaggerated, it's not much larger than most Tarantulas and it's quite a popular spider for home terrariums.

Thing's not rare, horribly dangerous or ginormous in the slightest.

That's it.

I think the point is that this a big one.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

I don't mind the large ones, it's the small fast moving ones that bother me.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I don't mind the large ones, it's the small fast moving ones that bother me.

And the ones who roll deep with automatic weapons.

 

[Shadow780]

At least it won't get into my nose or ears.

 

[Aliquidmeri]

Illegal amazon loggers are doing God's work.

 

[maniac-kun]

How did it get overlooked so far?

 

[andycapps]

Picture's highly exaggerated, it's not much larger than most Tarantulas and it's quite a popular spider for home terrariums.

Thing's not rare, horribly dangerous or ginormous in the slightest.

That's it.

Nope nope nope. You say that as if a spider as big as that guy's hands is no big deal.

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

Angles of the photos look deceiving.

Either way; is it possible to burn the universe?

 

[Cuphead]

NOPE of the day!

 

[GhaleonEB]

Picture's highly exaggerated, it's not much larger than most Tarantulas and it's quite a popular spider for home terrariums.

Thing's not rare, horribly dangerous or ginormous in the slightest.

That's it.

Aye, it's just a tarantula, though the largest variety. Harmless to people and pretty cool animals. I'm an arachnaphobe, but I find tarantulas interesting.

Something to note - these are not disposable critters that spawn and die quickly. They're animals that live for a very long time:

Females mature in 3 to 6 years and have an average life span of 15 to 25 years.​

The tarantula we have at home will live 20-30 years.

That is a pretty big specimen in the OP, though.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

How did it get overlooked so far?

No one has ever survived an encounter with one before.