What the sources say
Goliath BirdeaterTheraphosa blondi
Every figure, record and mechanism on the Goliath Birdeater profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 39 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
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Source
01
Virginia Zoo
Goliath Birdeater. Virginia Zoo.
- The page saysThe heaviest spider in the world
- The source says
Goliath birdeaters are the heaviest spiders in the world.
- The page saysa 6-ounce rainforest tarantula
- The source says
Weight: 6 ounces
- The page saysfangs that can pierce human skin and stinging hairs it can release
- The source says
body is covered with stinging hairs that the tarantula can release to irritate the skin and mucous membranes of predators. Their fangs are large enough to pierce the skin of a human
- The page saysNot Evaluated
- The source says
IUCN Conservation Status Not Evaluated
Note: stats.conservationStatus; Crossref and GBIF hold no assessment - The page saysUpland rain forests, marshes and swamps of Suriname, Guyana, northern Brazil and southern Venezuela
- The source says
Found In: Suriname, Guyana, northern Brazil and southern Venezuela/Upland rain forests, marshes, and swamps
Note: stats.habitat and body - The page saysMostly earthworms, and occasionally small rodents, amphibians and reptiles
- The source says
Diet consists mostly of earthworms, and occasionally small rodents, amphibians, and reptiles
Note: stats.diet - The page saysAn 11-inch leg span and stinging hairs it can release to irritate predators
- The source says
Leg Span: 11 inches
Note: stats.superpower; hairs quoted in the next entry - The page saysstinging hairs it can release to irritate predators
- The source says
stinging hairs that the tarantula can release to irritate the skin and mucous membranes of predators
Note: stats.superpower - The page saysholds the title of heaviest spider on Earth
- The source says
Goliath birdeaters are the heaviest spiders in the world.
- The page saysThe Virginia Zoo gives its weight as 6 ounces.
- The source says
Weight: 6 ounces
Note: zoo gives one figure - The page saysIts leg span, the width across its outstretched legs, is 11 inches, nearly a foot.
- The source says
Leg Span: 11 inches
- The page saysIt lives in upland rain forests, marshes and swamps in Suriname, Guyana, northern Brazil and southern Venezuela
- The source says
Found In: Suriname, Guyana, northern Brazil and southern Venezuela/Upland rain forests, marshes, and swamps
- The page saysIn the wild it can live 12 to 16 years. In human care, spiders have reached their early 20s.
- The source says
12-16 years in the wild but into their early 20s in human care
- The page saysthe menu is mostly earthworms. Small rodents, amphibians and reptiles are occasional extras.
- The source says
Diet consists mostly of earthworms, and occasionally small rodents, amphibians, and reptiles, despite the name “birdeater”
- The page saysLike other tarantulas, the Goliath birdeater is covered in stinging hairs. It can release them to irritate the skin and the mucous membranes
- The source says
Like other tarantulas, the Goliath birdeater’s body is covered with stinging hairs that the tarantula can release to irritate the skin and mucous membranes of predators.
Note: '(the wet linings of the nose, mouth and eyes)' glosses mucous membranes - The page saysIts fangs are large enough to pierce human skin. The venom, though, is about as strong as a wasp's
- The source says
Their fangs are large enough to pierce the skin of a human, but their venom is about as strong as a wasp’s.
- The page saysHabitat loss, the exotic pet trade and hunting are the major threats to this species.
- The source says
Habitat loss, the exotic pet trade, and hunting are the major threats to this species
- The page saysThe Virginia Zoo gives its IUCN conservation status as Not Evaluated.
- The source says
IUCN Conservation Status Not Evaluated
Note: Crossref and GBIF hold no assessment - The page saysIn the wild, 12 to 16 years. In human care, some spiders make it into their early 20s.
- The source says
12-16 years in the wild but into their early 20s in human care
- The page saysDespite the name, the Virginia Zoo says its diet is mostly earthworms.
- The source says
Diet consists mostly of earthworms, and occasionally small rodents, amphibians, and reptiles, despite the name “birdeater”
- The page saysThe Virginia Zoo says its fangs can break a person's skin, but its venom is about as strong as a wasp's.
- The source says
Their fangs are large enough to pierce the skin of a human, but their venom is about as strong as a wasp’s.
- The page saysThe Virginia Zoo lists it as a carnivore.
- The source says
Carnivore. Diet consists mostly of earthworms
- The page saysdangerLevel: Medium
- The source says
Their fangs are large enough to pierce the skin of a human, but their venom is about as strong as a wasp’s.
Note: task #976; can injure (fangs pierce skin), rarely seriously (wasp-strength venom). Was High - The page saysit can release the stinging hairs that cover its body to irritate the attacker's skin and mucous membranes
- The source says
the Goliath birdeater’s body is covered with stinging hairs that the tarantula can release to irritate the skin and mucous membranes of predators
Note: vibe.reason, task #976
Source
02
Menin, Rodrigues & Azevedo 2005
Menin, Rodrigues & Azevedo (2005). Predation on amphibians by spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) in the Neotropical region. Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology.
- The page sayssays it is known to prey on skinks, snakes and mice.
- The source says
Theraphosa blondi is known to prey on skinks, snakes, mice (Azevedo and Smith 2004) and earthworms (Nyffeler et al. 2001) as well as frogs.
- The page saysOn 16 April 2004, researchers surveying frogs in a forest reserve in Manaus, Brazil, saw a Goliath birdeater eating a juvenile toad (Bufo marinus).
- The source says
on 16 April 2004 a theraphosid spider Theraphosa blondi (84.12 mm) was observed eating a juvenile B. marinus (90.52 mm)
- The page saysThe spider stood over its prey with its chelicerae, the jaws that hold the fangs, in the toad's head
- The source says
The spider was standing over the toad with its chelicerae in the head of the frog.
Note: 'the jaws that hold the fangs' is a gloss of chelicerae - The page saysTwo hours later the toad was still alive, but its left eye and right hind limb were paralyzed.
- The source says
After two hours, the frog was still alive but the left eye and the right hind limb were paralyzed.
- The page saysA 2005 review of spiders that eat amphibians adds skinks, snakes, mice and frogs to its known prey.
- The source says
Theraphosa blondi is known to prey on skinks, snakes, mice (Azevedo and Smith 2004) and earthworms (Nyffeler et al. 2001) as well as frogs.
- The page saysThey measured the spider's body at 84.12 millimeters and the toad at 90.52 millimeters from snout to vent.
- The source says
a theraphosid spider Theraphosa blondi (84.12 mm) was observed eating a juvenile B. marinus (90.52 mm)
- The page saysand there was bleeding around the bite. The researchers also saw a second bite in the toad's throat region.
- The source says
There was a hemorrhage around the bite, and another bite was observed in the gular region.
Note: 'bleeding' = hemorrhage; 'throat region' = gular region - The page saysWhen the spider was captured, the toad was alive but motionless.
- The source says
The frog was still alive but motionless when the spider was captured.
- The page saysA 2005 review of spiders that prey on amphibians calls it a giant tarantula that eats a wide range of prey types
- The source says
The giant tarantula Theraphosa blondi , and probably the tarantula Sericopelma rubronitens , eat a wide range of prey types.
- The page saysresearchers surveying frogs in a forest reserve in Manaus, Brazil
- The source says
We conducted field observations in Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, Manaus, AM, and observed eight predation events
- The page sayssurveying frogs
- The source says
All observations were occasional and realized during surveys of nocturnal anurans.
- The page saysmeasured the spider's body
- The source says
measures of the body size represent the cephalotorax and abdomen length to spiders and snout-vent length (SVL) to frogs
- The page saysAcross the spider-and-frog cases the review gathered, the spider was about the same length as its prey or slightly shorter.
- The source says
The size of the spider is similar or slightly lesser than the anuran prey.
- The page saysfrom snout to vent
- The source says
snout-vent length (SVL) to frogs
- The page saysA 2005 review
- The source says
Phyllomedusa - 4(1), October 2005
Note: publication year for both '2005 review' mentions (body and FAQ)
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.