I hope that anybody travelling to the jungle regions of Venezuela will find this blog of myths and legends useful, especially those who visit Canaima and the Gran Sabana, home to the Pemon Indians; the Rio Caura, home to Yekuana and Sanema; and the mighty Orinoco, home to Panare, Piapoco, Yabarana, Yanomami and many others. Get back to me with your own contributions, experiences, photos and ideas: dogzbolox@hotmail.com
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Piaroa kids snack on tarantulas in the jungle
This cute little clip from the BBC's new Human Planet series follows a group of young Piaroa children from Venezuela's Amazonas State as they hunt for spiders to snack on.
These are no ordinary spiders, but the largest spider of all, the fearsome Goliath tarantula (Theraphosa blondi) which can give a nasty nip with its venomous fangs and also protects itself with irritating urticated hairs that it flicks off its abdomen when threatened with attack.
The effect is similar to horse-hair itching powder on the skin, but if breathed into the throat it can cause serious respiratory problems.
The clip was first shown on British TV on 3 February 2011.
Wonderful posts! I am originally from Venezuela and just did a post on my blog about the Yanomami! :)
ReplyDeleteSaludos!
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