The Plague and Theraphosa blondi

I'm sick...must have caught it from Jenny...or the people at work. Anyway, I called in today. I feel like I need to be productive....but I feel like grand caca.

The Goliath Bird Eater ... "Theraphosa Blondi" is the largest spider on earth. Record sizes are more than 12 " across. I've only got the chance to see one of these guys at a reptile show. They're the only spider that can produce a loud hiss when they're aggitated. They hiss by a method called "stridulation". It's interesting because they use hairs on their legs to make the sound...it works similar to how vel-cro works. It's fangs are larger than most snakes...but, it's bite isn't fatal to most humans. It's urticating hairs (a Mexican Redknee "hair flicking" urticiating hairs) are supposed to be the most painful from the bird eater. These hairs that they flick off their back act like micro-harpoons covered in poison. I've read that even when gloves are worn....the goliath bird eater's hairs can still penitrate. In the wild these can easily kill mice or other intruders of their burrows by getting caught in the throat. I've read that few keepers of this breed have gone blind from having the spider too close to their face and getting an eyefull of spider needles. Tribes in the Amazon eat Goliath Bird eaters by putting them on sticks and roasting them. I wonder when I'll get to see one of these guys again.