Spider!

[Queasy]

Damn that looks creepy (pics in link).

Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real.

The photos ? which are reported to have been taken this week in Atherton, west of Cairns ? show the spider clenching its legs around a lifeless bird trapped in a web.

Head spider keeper at the Australian Reptile Park at Gosford on NSW central coast, Joel Shakespeare, said the spider was a Golden Orb Weaver.

"Normally they prey on large insects? it's unusual to see one eating a bird," he told ninemsn.

Mr Shakepeare said he had seen Golden Orb Weaver spiders as big as a human hand but the northern species in tropical areas were known to grow larger.

Queensland Museum identified the bird as a native finch called the Chestnut?breasted Mannikin.

The bird, which appears frozen in an angel-like pose, most likely flew into the web and got caught, according to Mr Shakepeare.

"It wouldn't eat the whole bird," he said.

But the spider would probably prepare a liquid soup with the finch ? as it does with insects ? and discard of what it doesn't need.

"It uses its venom to break down the bird for eating and what it leaves is a food parcel," he said.

Greg Czechura from Queensland Museum said cases of the Golden Orb Weaver eating small birds were "well known but rare".

"It builds a very strong web," he said.

But he said the spider would not have attacked until the bird weakened.

"They blunder into [the webs] and their feathers get entangled," he said.

"The more they struggle, the more tangled up and exhausted they get and they go into stress."

The Golden Orb Weaver spins a strong web high in protein because it depends on it to capture large insects for food, unlike funnel web and wolf spiders that actively hunt their prey.

Another species called the bird-eating spider does not actually eat birds.
"If a spider gets a bird, it's a very lucky spider," Mr Czechura said.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Hurry Syringer, Australia needs you!

 

[Tim]

Really?

 

[CraKaJaX]

This is one reason I live in New York.

 

[Arcadio]

I've seen that before. Is that even real?

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've seen that before. Is that even real?

not sure. lets ask some experts.

"Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real"

holly shit its the first sentence! guess its real.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've seen that before. Is that even real?

not sure. lets ask some experts.

"Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real"

holly shit its the first sentence! guess its real.

:laugh:

 

[Tim]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've seen that before. Is that even real?

not sure. lets ask some experts.

"Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real"

holly shit its the first sentence! guess its real.

Holy shit, you know her too?

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: theplaidfad

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've seen that before. Is that even real?

not sure. lets ask some experts.

"Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real"

holly shit its the first sentence! guess its real.

Holy shit, you know her too?

yeah. the damn women needs to come clean my floor!

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: theplaidfad
Really?

I have Elephantitis of the penis.

 

[Tim]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: theplaidfad

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've seen that before. Is that even real?

not sure. lets ask some experts.

"Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real"

holly shit its the first sentence! guess its real.

Holy shit, you know her too?

yeah. the damn women needs to come clean my floor!

:laugh: Don't bother, she's a mess.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: theplaidfad

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: theplaidfad

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've seen that before. Is that even real?

not sure. lets ask some experts.

"Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real"

holly shit its the first sentence! guess its real.

Holy shit, you know her too?

yeah. the damn women needs to come clean my floor!

:laugh: Don't bother, she's a mess.

so is my floor!

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've seen that before. Is that even real?

not sure. lets ask some experts.

"Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real"

holly shit its the first sentence! guess its real.

:laugh: x1000

 

[MotF Bane]

I for one welcome our new spider overlords.

 

[Strk]

Australia.... no surprise it's from there.

 

[destrekor]

:shocked:
okay, so it's a little less special of a circumstance than appears at first in the image.

Bird screwed up and flew, and got stuck in a large Orb Weaver's nest. Those things are strong, and the bigger the Weaver, the stronger the web. Spider just got a free meal, that's all. But really, surprised the spider would be able to eat the bird, because I wouldn't imagine the venom would be enough to soupify the bird. Then again, if the spider sees it's such a large creature, it'll amp up the dose of venom it delivers, maybe in a few bites.

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've seen that before. Is that even real?

not sure. lets ask some experts.

"Photos of a mammoth spider devouring a bird in a Queensland backyard are sweeping email inboxes ? and according to experts, it's all real"

holly shit its the first sentence! guess its real.

:thumbsup::laugh:

 

[Balr0g]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31

Originally posted by: theplaidfad
Really?

I have Elephantitis of the penis.

I don't think that's possible.

 

[CPA]

oh, mother of all that is unholy, that thing is unbelievable.

 

[Tim]

Originally posted by: CPA
oh, mother of all that is unholy, that thing is unbelievable.

I warned you about talking about my mom. :|

 

[Capt Caveman]

REPOST from last week

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: Balr0g

Originally posted by: Ocguy31

Originally posted by: theplaidfad
Really?

I have Elephantitis of the penis.

I don't think that's possible.

I can make you a believer.

 

[drum]

I'd like to see CorCentral start breeding these along with his black widows :laugh:

 

[Pepsei]

repost...
that spider is aka banana spider... it really isn't that big... the small bird makes it look big.

that spider can also be found in FL.