Here is Henry's third grade Rainforest Animal report, which he is turning in today:

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The Goliath Bird Eating Spider

by Henry K.
April 22, 2009


The Goliath Bird Eating Spider is the largest spider ever. It is 11 inches wide, 10 inches long. That's bigger than the piece of paper you're holding (if you're holding it)! This spider can weigh over 120 grams. Don't worry about finding a Goliath in your shoe because it wouldn't fit!

The Goliath was named by some dudes from the Victorian era who saw it eat a hummingbird and they brought back the story to the Western world. Gosh, imagine seeing something that big...something spidery.

Like all spiders, the Goliath is not an insect, it's an Arachnid. A big, black (or brown), hairy, creepy, fearsome looking Arachnid! They have thick strong legs. They are dark brown or black. Their fangs can be as big as this _________ (one inch long)! The Goliath has very poor eyesight and I'm pretty sure it uses it's sense of touch to know what's going on.

The Goliath lives in the Amazon Rainforest in countries like Brazil or Peru in South America. It lives on the forest floor and I think they climb to the understory. It is dark and rainy where they live. They live in burrows that they have either found or made.

Like other bird eating spiders, the Goliath (a carnivore) eats insects and small mammals by biting and paralyzing them. It makes a web barrier in case of interruptions while eating. Even though it's called a bird eating spider, it doesn't eat birds that much.

You just read about what the bird eater eats, now let's talk about what eats the bird eater! It is considered a delicacy in Venezuela. The ocelot is a predator to the Goliath. It digs it out of it's burrow and eats it.

Mrs. Hamilton, my teacher, has a tarantula named Buttercup. But I'm pretty sure she's not a Goliath, because Mrs. Ham would've said, "Don't do a report on Buttercup." Also she would know that Goliath spiders can make a loud hissing noise by rubbing the hairs on their legs together. I am glad Buttercup isn't a Goliath because if she was, she'd be very, very aggressive.

The Goliath bird eating spider defends itself by kicking hairs off it's back and those hairs can make your skin sore. If you breath in these hairs, you're toast (probably).

The Goliath's habitat is threatened by humans. They set fire to the brush and clear the land, and doing that destroys their burrows. You can help by adopting an acre of rain forest and say that no one can cut down trees or start any fires on that acre.

So if you can spare some money to save the rain forest, I'll buy you something nice! Maybe. Probably. Nah...

SOURCES

"Bird Eating Spiders" by Louise Martin.
Rourke Enterprises, Inc.


"Goliath Birdeater", Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_birdeater


"Spiders''by Lionel Bender.
GLOUCESTER PRESS.


hk/slk