Golden Orb Spider Eating Bird: Real or Hoax?

[CrickyKat]

So, I found this on CNN. What do y'all think? Photoshopped or genuine? Do Nephilas actually get larger than the human hand or is this another case of exaggeration?

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24540399-5009760,00.html

 

[crpy]

i have seen a humming bird get caught in a Nephila web, Nephila webs are very strong (cant remember but they may be the strongest :? )and i can see this happening to a small bird with no problem. I dont know if this pic is a hoax, but it definitely can happen. Nephilas are one of the reasons they put bush guards on airboats here, you can end up with a body cast from Nephila webs lol

 

[Moltar]

I think it's real. Those things get very large and the webs are stroooong.

Honestly, I'm surprised it hasn't been documented more. i bet they catch small birds and bats fairly often.

 

[rustym3talh3ad]

Small birds and bats perhaps but that looks like a damn Chicken lol, possible yes, but this photo looks a bit of a stretch.

 

[dairy]

The Chesnut-breasted Mannikin (pictured in the spider web) gets to about 4 inches and weighs about 17 grams.

http://www.nfss.org/Birds/Species/Finches/NunsMann/Chest-Brst.html

If they served me a 10cm 17g chicken at White Spot I'd send it back I've got $10 on real, with a goofy angle/lack of perspective on the photo that makes it look so freakin' big. That spider looks like it's the size of an Aliens style Face-Hugger!

 

[rustym3talh3ad]

That spider looks like it's the size of an Aliens style Face-Hugger!

haha, i thought it was...i was like "SWEET now if only Sigourney Weaver would show up and save the day!"

but after looking at the rest of the photos its for sure seeming realistic the bird isnt as big as it looked in the original photo.

 

[Neuroticax]

Interesting.

 

[pitbulllady]

Several years ago, I personally saw an Argiope aurantiaca eating a Carolina Wren that blundered into her web, and that spider species does not get as large as our native Nephila clavipes. I would assume that the Aussie Nephila sp. is at least as large as ours here in the US. I've seen Argiopes eating Anole lizards, as well, so I don't doubt that that a large Nephila could eat a small bird. Those webs are unbelievably strong, the strongest natural fiber on the planet, in fact, and walking into one is almost like walking into an elastic chain-link fence!

pitbulllady

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

That is definitely NOT photoshopped.

 

[dairy]

Those webs are unbelievably strong, the strongest natural fiber on the planet, in fact, and walking into one is almost like walking into an elastic chain-link fence!

pitbulllady

I read somewhere that spider webs were being looked at in the hopes of synthetic production with applications in safety lines, tow cables etc. The same article also likened a spiderweb withstanding the impact of a bee to a cable withstanding the impact of a jet fighter!

 

[Pulk]

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=138481
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=138311

 

[CrickyKat]

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=138481
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=138311

Oh crap, now MY thread is a duplicate and needs to be deleted. I suck.

 

[Jakob]

Several years ago, I personally saw an Argiope aurantiaca eating a Carolina Wren that blundered into her web, and that spider species does not get as large as our native Nephila clavipes. I would assume that the Aussie Nephila sp. is at least as large as ours here in the US. I've seen Argiopes eating Anole lizards, as well, so I don't doubt that that a large Nephila could eat a small bird. Those webs are unbelievably strong, the strongest natural fiber on the planet, in fact, and walking into one is almost like walking into an elastic chain-link fence!

pitbulllady

I have seen Nephila in Australia and they were at least as big as the ones I saw in Florida. I also saw a few that were indeed larger than any I had seen in Florida.