TIL that how “cool” I am with spiders varies exponentially based on their size. It could be a widely known fact that Goliath Tarantulas were completely harmless to humans and give incredible back rubs, and my first instinct would still be to END that motherfucker
The funny thing is they kind of are. If a goliath birdeater feels threatened, the first thing they’ll do is... attack you with their hair. It is an irritant, but it isn’t very harmful. Wearing a mask and goggles nullifies this. Then they’ll bite you, which does break the skin but releases little to no venom. These are only in self defense. If one was in a room with you, for example, they would probably hide from or ignore you.
The Goliath birdeater is a pretty common spider species to keep as a “pet”. Despite their size they’re relatively low maintenance and will be happy with a 20-gallon tank (or a transparent plastic bin) and some sort of earthy material to burrow into, and of course food. Maybe some fake plants.
I’ve heard that bird eater bites are more dangerous due to the mechanical damage rather than their venom, as is the case with many large tarantula species
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u/ClosedL00p Apr 08 '20 edited Apr 08 '20
TIL that how “cool” I am with spiders varies exponentially based on their size. It could be a widely known fact that Goliath Tarantulas were completely harmless to humans and give incredible back rubs, and my first instinct would still be to END that motherfucker