Belonging to the family of tarantulas the Goliath birdeater spider is found in the southern part of North America. They are the world’s largest spider when it comes to size and mass, however, in terms of leg span they rank second after the giant huntsman spider.
Size: They are approximately 11.9 cm (4.7 inches) in length with a leg span of about 30 cm (12 inches). These spiders are also heavily built with a weight close to 175 grams, the females being larger in size than males.
Color: They have a light or dark brown body with faint markings on the legs.
Other Characteristic Features: They are one among the few species belonging to the tarantula family which does not have the tibial spurs present on the legs (first pair) of most of the adult males.
The female lays between 100 and 200 eggs which resemble the size of a tennis ball.
They hatch after 6 to 8 weeks and disperse within a short span.
Not much information is obtained in this regard as they do not capture prey with their webs, instead they use venom and strength for this purpose.
Like other spiders of the tarantula family, they also have large venomous fangs with a length between 1.9 and 3.8 cm (0/75 and 1.50 inches). This species, however, do not attack humans unless threatened or provoked, and their bite is equivalent to that of a wasp’s sting, resulting in irritation and itching which could last for a couple of days. Their venom is also not regarded as poisonous, hence human beings are not at much risk from these spiders.
| Other Names | Goliath Bird-eating spider |
| Distribution | Rain forest belt in the northern part of South America including areas of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, southern Venezuela, and Northern Brazil |
| Habitat | Deep burrows, mostly in swampy or marshy regions |
| Diet | Frogs, rodents, toads, snakes, earthworms, and lizards |
| Predators | Humans, mammals, tarantula hawk |
| Lifespan | Males: 3 to 6 years Females: 15 to 25 years |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not Known |
Image Credits: Sciencenetlinks.com, Media.mnn.com, I.imgur.com, Live.staticflickr.com, 2static.fjcdn.com
Belonging to the family of tarantulas the Goliath birdeater spider is found in the southern part of North America. They are the world’s largest spider when it comes to size and mass, however, in terms of leg span they rank second after the giant huntsman spider.
Size: They are approximately 11.9 cm (4.7 inches) in length with a leg span of about 30 cm (12 inches). These spiders are also heavily built with a weight close to 175 grams, the females being larger in size than males.
Color: They have a light or dark brown body with faint markings on the legs.
Other Characteristic Features: They are one among the few species belonging to the tarantula family which does not have the tibial spurs present on the legs (first pair) of most of the adult males.
The female lays between 100 and 200 eggs which resemble the size of a tennis ball.
They hatch after 6 to 8 weeks and disperse within a short span.
Not much information is obtained in this regard as they do not capture prey with their webs, instead they use venom and strength for this purpose.
Like other spiders of the tarantula family, they also have large venomous fangs with a length between 1.9 and 3.8 cm (0/75 and 1.50 inches). This species, however, do not attack humans unless threatened or provoked, and their bite is equivalent to that of a wasp’s sting, resulting in irritation and itching which could last for a couple of days. Their venom is also not regarded as poisonous, hence human beings are not at much risk from these spiders.
| Other Names | Goliath Bird-eating spider |
| Distribution | Rain forest belt in the northern part of South America including areas of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, southern Venezuela, and Northern Brazil |
| Habitat | Deep burrows, mostly in swampy or marshy regions |
| Diet | Frogs, rodents, toads, snakes, earthworms, and lizards |
| Predators | Humans, mammals, tarantula hawk |
| Lifespan | Males: 3 to 6 years Females: 15 to 25 years |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not Known |
Image Credits: Sciencenetlinks.com, Media.mnn.com, I.imgur.com, Live.staticflickr.com, 2static.fjcdn.com
