Originally posted by WolfChan

Why would any exotics keeper be handling a widow spider? It just doesn't happen.

Nobody would let such an animal free-roam, so there was no danger from the boid.

There are no bird-eating spiders besides one species of tarantula.....and the name is a misnomer, they don't eat birds!
When I was younger I had a black widow as a pet, more than one but not once did I ever handle them. I just put them in a jar for a few days to watch them and then set them free again. Fascinating creatures but not something I would handle.

As far as people not allowing large snakes to free roam, that is not true. I know many people who do this. There was once a python (I think) who escaped his house and ate the neighbors pomeranian. Later the snake was destroyed. Trust me, there are a lot of stupid people in this world who are dumb enough to do this.

There are some spiders that eat birds. One man used to come into Scamps reguarly to buy finches for his spider, but I am not sure what type it was.
http://www.tenforward.com.au/spiders/facts.html

http://www.arachnophiliac.com/burrow...ing_spider.htm

http://www.phoenixzoo.org/zoo/animal...spiderbird.asp