Home / Tarantulas / Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi)

Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi)

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.

Goliath Birdeater

Scientific Classification

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

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.

Goliath Birdeater Size

Eggs

The female lays between 100 and 200 eggs which resemble the size of a tennis ball.

Spiderlings

They hatch after 6 to 8 weeks and disperse within a short span.

The Web

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.

Is the Goliath Bird Eating Spider Poisonous and Does it Bite  

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.

Goliath Bird Eating Spider

Quick Facts

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
Female Goliath Birdeater

Did You Know

  • Though known as the birdeater or bird eating spider they are rarely known to prey upon birds.
  • Their population is stable, however according to biologists they could be at a risk of being endangered in the near future.
  • The Goliath Birdeater and Giant Huntsman spider are both large in size though the latter has longer legs than the former.
Goliath Birdeater Tarantula

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.

Goliath Birdeater

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

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.

Goliath Birdeater Size

Eggs

The female lays between 100 and 200 eggs which resemble the size of a tennis ball.

Spiderlings

They hatch after 6 to 8 weeks and disperse within a short span.

The Web

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.

Is the Goliath Bird Eating Spider Poisonous and Does it Bite  

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.

Goliath Bird Eating Spider

Quick Facts

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
Female Goliath Birdeater

Did You Know

  • Though known as the birdeater or bird eating spider they are rarely known to prey upon birds.
  • Their population is stable, however according to biologists they could be at a risk of being endangered in the near future.
  • The Goliath Birdeater and Giant Huntsman spider are both large in size though the latter has longer legs than the former.
Goliath Birdeater Tarantula

Image Credits: Sciencenetlinks.com, Media.mnn.com, I.imgur.com, Live.staticflickr.com, 2static.fjcdn.com

Leave a Reply