Chicken Eating Spiders: Myth or Reality?

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In summary, The researcher refers to these large Peruvian spiders as "chicken-eating", but he has not supplied photographs of spiders actually engaged in hunting down and devouring chickens. He says that he has observed family group of several spiders living together in a burrow and he surmises that they may go out and hunt together as a pack. It is of course possible that the spiders just go down to the local Peruvian Colonel Sanders KFC and get their chicken in a civilized fashion rather than slaying it. You got to be kidding me.WOW. Quite fascinating (not so impressed by the chicken eating tales until it is proven true... ;-P) but that's one big spider... You believe that
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http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/deepjungle/episode2_nicholas.html [Broken]

The researcher refers to these large (10 or 11 inch diameter) Peruvian spiders as "chicken-eating", but he has not supplied photographs of spiders actually engaged in hunting down and devouring chickens.

He says that he has observed family group of several spiders living together in a burrow and he surmises that they may go out and hunt together as a pack.

It is of course possible that the spiders just go down to the local Peruvian Colonel Sanders KFC and get their chicken in a civilized fashion rather than slaying it.
 
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  • #2
You got to be kidding me.
 
  • #3
WOW. Quite fascinating (not so impressed by the chicken eating tales until it is proven true... ;-P) but that's one big spider...
 
  • #4
You believe that mother spider was about 10 inches across. How big are the biggest tarantulas?

I believe the record is 11.8 inches, held by the Goliath spider of Venezuela.
:rofl: Cool! :cool: I'd love to see one of these in person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_Bird_Eating_Spider :biggrin:
 
  • #5
How would you like to wake up and see that sucker crawling up your leg?
 
  • #6
Spiders hunting in packs? Oh jeez I shouldn't of read that, I'm sure my brain logged it as new materal for nightmares!
 
  • #7
Chickens are birds right, so it is just another bird-eating spider :rolleyes: :smile:
 
  • #8
Ivan Seeking said:
How would you like to wake up and see that sucker crawling up your leg?

i think the worse bit would be after you punch it, realizing you'll have to keep punching it to kill it.
 
  • #9
Cool spiders!

I'd rather be surrounded by spiders than flies, although seeing a room filled with them at the same time would be cool to watch (if i wasn't in the room)
 
  • #10
Ivan Seeking said:
How would you like to wake up and see that sucker crawling up your leg?

that happened to me once :biggrin:

Ki Man said:
Cool spiders!

I'd rather be surrounded by spiders than flies, although seeing a room filled with them at the same time would be cool to watch (if i wasn't in the room)

ewww ...wierdo!
 
  • #11
sara_87 said:
that happened to me once :biggrin:
I bet your face wasn't like :biggrin: though! Anyway, enough of the spiders already!

ewww ...wierdo!
:rofl: .. why not say exactly what you're thinking :wink:
 
  • #12
cristo said:
I bet your face wasn't like :biggrin: though!
why not? i could be a weirdo too... init? :wink:

my face was more like :yuck: :cry: :uhh: :eek: :bugeye: :frown: :grumpy: :mad:
:rofl: .. why not say exactly what you're thinking :wink:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: i wasn't thinking anything! o:)

and spiders can be cool... like spiderman :tongue:
 
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  • #13
Interesting, I'm afraid of spiders, but there are no specially big or poisonous spiders in my country (except for the black widow, but that girl doesn't live in the part of the country where I do..). Obviously we're always afraid of the unknown. :smile:
 
  • #14
sara_87 said:
why not? i could be a weirdo too... init? :wink:

my face was more like :yuck: :cry: :uhh: :eek: :bugeye: :frown: :grumpy: :mad:


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: i wasn't thinking anything! o:)

and spiders can be cool... like spiderman :tongue:
And the prize for using every emoticon in one post goes to... :tongue2: Have you seen Spiderman 3, btw?

radou said:
Interesting, I'm afraid of spiders, but there are no specially big or poisonous spiders in my country (except for the black widow, but that girl doesn't live in the part of the country where I do..).
:rofl:
Obviously we're always afraid of the unknown. :smile:
Yea, we don't have any big spiders here, but I'd hate to come across one. I think it's due to watching Arachnaphobia as a kid that did it to me!
 
  • #15
cristo said:
And the prize for using every emoticon in one post goes to... :tongue2:

lol ...who? :confused: me? :bugeye: oh thanks :!)

Have you seen Spiderman 3, btw?

not yet! have you?
 
  • #16
sara_87 said:
lol ...who? :confused: me? :bugeye: oh thanks :!)
maybe... :tongue:
not yet! have you?
no I've not.. i want to though!
 
  • #17
sara_87 said:
not yet! have you?

cristo said:
no I've not.. i want to though!

I think you guys should switch to PM. :biggrin: :wink:
 
  • #18
That spider must spin one heck of a web if it can catch a chicken!
 
  • #19
When one spider asked the Peruvian spider what fies taste like, the Peruvian spider answered, "Kind of like chicken."
 
  • #20
Ivan Seeking said:
How would you like to wake up and see that sucker crawling up your leg?

Seeing as his leg span pretty much would cover the entire width of my body... I would guess with a high level of confidence that I would go into cardiac arrest. :frown:
 
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  • #21
I got a great photo of one of these babies, it's about 7 inches in diameter and the locals told me they suck the blood of the chickens and I believe it... I mean, a spider this size needs something more wholesome than insects to survive and a sleeping chicken is easy prey.
 
  • #22
Spiders running in packs? That ranks right up their with some of the scariest things I've ever heard.
 

1. Is it true that there are spiders that eat chickens?

No, there are no known species of spiders that exclusively feed on chickens. This is a common myth that has been perpetuated through urban legends and internet hoaxes.

2. Can spiders actually consume animals as large as chickens?

While some species of spiders are capable of capturing and consuming small vertebrates, such as lizards or mice, chickens are generally too large for them to handle. Spiders are limited by the size of their prey in relation to their own body size.

3. Are there any documented cases of spiders eating chickens?

No, there are no documented cases of spiders preying on chickens. Any claims of this happening are most likely false or exaggerated.

4. Do spiders pose a threat to chickens in any way?

In general, spiders do not pose a threat to chickens. They are not aggressive towards animals much larger than themselves and are more likely to avoid them. However, some species of venomous spiders, such as black widows or brown recluses, could potentially harm chickens if they come into direct contact.

5. What do chickens typically eat and what role do spiders play in their diet?

Chickens are omnivores and their diet primarily consists of grains, seeds, insects, and small animals like worms. Spiders may occasionally be caught and eaten by chickens, but they are not a significant part of their diet and do not provide any nutritional benefits.

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