Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-16
Giunt TorontuIus Dwell
On CunuI Zone Island
Greet Black Spider Devours
Whole Mouse in 24-Hour Meal

NHVsS NsVUSS tu 34-tIOuT Ne0b
By Thomas r. Henry
Barro Colorado Island. Smithsonian
Institution tropical wildlife preserve In
the Canal Zone, is the home Of giant
spiders dwelling tarantulas and
scorpions. the entrances to whose SUBJ
terranean dwellings look like small
grounding holes.
Mammoth Of the lot is the great blue
scorpion. which may be as much as
three inches long and an inch broad.
1t In venomous creature, but the effect
Of the venom varies from animal to
animal and especially from man to
man.
Another giant Of the spider race,
according to Smithsonian description
Of the creatures on the island, is the
great black tarantula, which has been
known to kill and devour at one meal
a whole small mouse. This was in an
experiment at the island laboratory
where the tarantula had been kept
fasting for two days. A like experience
may not be encountered in the jungle
where small mammals are better able
to care for themselves. The mouse
died in few minutes after it was
struck by the tarantula's fangs.
24-Hour Meal.
Then it required about "a hours for
the spider to devour the whole mann
NAL, except for skin, hair and bones.
So strong was the insect that it could
lift and carry the carcass from one end
~ he %4 he ~ a.
enormous meal it still was hungry and
gulped down few small insects for
dessert.
Tests Of the actual potency Of the
poison on rats were made at the lab
oratory by DIR. w. j. Baerg of the Uni
versity of Arkansas. When fair-sized
white rat was exposed to the taran-
tula's bite the effect was immediate.
In few minutes the animal was com.
pletely incapacitated, lying on its stom-
ach with It's eyes closed and making
only feeble efforts to move. In q little
more than an hour there was the first
sign Of recovery. which was complete
in about four hours.
The experimenter then allowed him
self to be bitten. but took precautions
against getting too big Q dose Of the
venom. At first the bite was extremely
painful and the bitten hand started to
swell. When it was soaked in hot
water. pain and swelling disappeared
in about six hours.
A giant starfish covered with poison
tipped barbs an inch or more long IL
the sea devil to Caroline Island natives
Specimens Of this venomoLs crea-
ture, the "rangerang," have been
brought to the Smithsonian Institution
by DR.. Frederick M. Bayer of the
National Museums Division of Marine
Invertebrates who conducted a bio
logical survey of Ifaluk atoll, one Of
the Carolines, for the National Re-
search Council and Office Of Naval
Research.
The malevolent creature. more
dreaded than man-eating sharks which
infest the same waters. is about two
feet across with 10 to IS short, stubby
arms radiating from the broad disk
like spokes Of wheel. It is covered
with sharp. brittle spines needle-sharp
at their tips. Because Of its notified
reddish, olive and grey color it blends
perfectly with the bottom. on the shall
lows and reefs where it turks.
Pain is Excruciating.
Natives wade a great deal along the
short and quite frequently step on one
of the creatures. The injuries are ex-
cruciatingly painful and may be quite
serious.
At the center Of the radiating arms.
on the underside of the body, the
creature has q mouth through which
in common with all starfish-it pro-
trudes its stomach to engulf clans.
Snails and other creatures which are
its customary prey. It does not take
food to its stomach but brings its
stomach, turned inside out. to the feed.
The remedy for the injury, says Mr..
Bayer, lies in the creature itself. II
one steps on a rangerang the proper
treatment Is to turn the starfish on
its back and apply the injured foot
to it's mouth. The stomach and the
powerful suction cup" tube feet of
the animal, by means of which it crawls
slowly over the sea bottom, will draw
out the poison and broken spines so
that the wound will heal rapidly.
When the animal is dead and dried
in the sun the starfiSh turns q brilliant
red, from whence comes its native
name. which means "flame-colored."