The Bird Eating Spider Is A Type Of Trapdoor Spider

The Bird Eating Spider is one of Australia's largest spiders. It is also known as the Barking Spider or Whistling Spider. The barking or whistling sound is a warning when the spider is disturbed and is made by rubbing their palps with their fangs. Selenocosmia Crassipes is its Latin name, and it is closely related to the Barking Spiders of South America. A mature female spider has body reaching a length of 60mm, the male is slightly smaller and slimmer than the female. The body of the male grows up to 40mm. The colour of the spider is various shades of rusty brown. It is considered a Tropical spider fairly widespread throughout Queensland and commonly found in Carins, Tully, Brisbane and Northern and Central parts of Australia. It is also found in New Guinea. This is the common species of the Theraphosidae family found in Australia. There are at least 4 kinds of the species found here. These spiders live under logs or in burrows which are 3cm wide and 60cm deep, which they line with silk. Sometimes a loose web is made around the entrance. Bird Eating Spiders kill their prey by pouncing on it and injecting venom. They eat insects, food is captured in the area near their burrows. Having no teeth, they rely on digestive juices to dissolve their food. The amazing thing about these spiders is that their digestive juices disolve scales and bone, there is little left of their prey once they have finished eating. When the spider has finished eating, the spider normally covers the entrance to their tunnel with web, sealing it. The web door remains until the spider is ready to eat again.