What is the Biggest Spider?

Spiders belong to a group of animals called chelicerate arthropods, which are known for their chelicerae and eight legs. In terms of anatomy, they have abdomens or opisthosoma and cephalothorax to go with their four pairs of legs. People can find various kinds of spider species all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica. Although they have quite scary features, spiders remain highly interesting because there are many other interesting things to find out about these creatures. While most of them are small, certain species come in enormous sizes. To know more about these things, it is good to learn about the biggest spider in the world.

The Size of the Biggest Spider

What is the biggest spider? In terms of leg-span, the goliath bird-eating spider is the biggest worldwide. Its legs can grow as long as 30 centimeters or 12 inches. Because of its massive body frame, it can weigh more than 6 ounces. Compared to other spider species, this one has huge fangs measuring about 0.75 to 1.5 inches, which are big enough to break the human skin.

Additional Facts and Other Important Details

The goliath bird-eating spider is native to South American rainforests. It usually inhabits swampy and marshy areas because it is naturally a deep-burrowing species. Within 3 to 4 years, female spiders mature, with an average lifespan between 15 and 25 years. On the other hand, male spiders only live between 3 to 6 years. Their colors usually vary, ranging from light brown to dark. They have hairs on the legs, abdomens as well as on their bodies.

A female spider lays eggs ranging from 100 to 200 eggs. After two months, they usually hatch to become spiderlings. Just like all the other tarantula species, this one is harmless to people. When threatened, it tends to bite using its venomous fangs. However, its venom is not that fatal, which is only comparable to that of the sting of a wasp. Once threatened, it releases hairs that can irritate the mucus membranes as well as the skin severely. It only bites humans as an act of self-defense. In uses vibrations to sense things because it has poor eyesight.

Although it is called the goliath bird-eating spider, it does not eat birds. Instead, it feeds on relatively small insects such as beetle larvae, beetles and crickets. Because it is an opportunistic hunter, it tends to eat appropriately sized birds, reptiles as well as mammals. While eating, it makes use of a web barrier to stop other animals from interrupting.