Chicken Eating Spiders: Myth or Reality?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the claims of large Peruvian spiders, referred to as "chicken-eating" spiders, and whether these claims are myth or reality. Participants explore the nature of these spiders, their hunting behaviors, and express various reactions to the idea of spiders consuming chickens.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant references a researcher who describes large Peruvian spiders as "chicken-eating" but notes the lack of photographic evidence of such behavior.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the claims of spiders hunting chickens, with one suggesting that they might simply acquire chicken from a source rather than hunting it.
  • Another participant mentions the size of the Goliath spider, which is noted to be the largest tarantula, and expresses interest in seeing such spiders in person.
  • Several participants share humorous or fearful reactions to the idea of encountering such large spiders, with some expressing that the thought is nightmarish.
  • One participant mentions that chickens are birds, suggesting that these spiders are simply another type of bird-eating spider.
  • A participant shares a personal anecdote about encountering a spider, indicating a mix of fascination and fear regarding spiders.
  • Another participant humorously comments on the idea of spiders hunting in packs, expressing that it adds to their fear of spiders.
  • One participant claims to have seen a spider that the locals said suck the blood of chickens, suggesting a belief in the predatory nature of these spiders.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views, with some showing skepticism about the existence of chicken-eating behavior in spiders, while others share anecdotes and beliefs that support the idea. The discussion remains unresolved, with multiple competing views present.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the behaviors of these spiders, and there are references to personal fears and cultural perceptions of spiders that may influence their views.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in arachnology, folklore regarding animal behavior, or those curious about the intersection of myth and reality in natural history may find this discussion engaging.

marcus
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http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/deepjungle/episode2_nicholas.html

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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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 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.
:smile: Cool! :cool: I'd love to see one of these in person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_Bird_Eating_Spider :biggrin:
 
How would you like to wake up and see that sucker crawling up your leg?
 
Spiders hunting in packs? Oh jeez I shouldn't of read that, I'm sure my brain logged it as new materal for nightmares!
 
Chickens are birds right, so it is just another bird-eating spider :rolleyes: :smile:
 
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.
 
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!
:smile: .. 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 :cry: :rolleyes: :eek: :bugeye: :frown: :mad:
:smile: .. why not say exactly what you're thinking :wink:

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

and spiders can be cool... like spiderman :-p
 
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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 :cry: :rolleyes: :eek: :bugeye: :frown: :mad:


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

and spiders can be cool... like spiderman :-p
And the prize for using every emoticon in one post goes to... :-p 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..).
:smile:
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... :-p

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... :-p
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.