World’s Biggest Spider – World’s largest Spider – The Goliath Bird Eating Spider

Ugly Creatures

In the Amazon rain forest regions of South America, there are more curious creatures than any other region in the World. It‘s in Amazon rain forest that you will find the world’s largest spider. The world’s biggest spider is the Goliath Tarantula spider also called Goliath Bird-Eating spider because it’s large enough to feed on birds. The goliath bird-eating spider can measure up to 30 cm (12 inches) leg span and can weigh approximately 150 grams (5 ounces). The Goliath bird eating spider will feed on birds, crickets, beetles, insects and insect larvae, rodents, reptiles or any animal smaller than itself.

The Goliath Tarantula

The Goliath Tarantula usually lives in burrows found in marshy and swampy Amazon rainforest of South America. A female Goliath Tarantula has a long life span of 25 years whilst the males will die after maturity with a life span of about six years. A female can lay about 400 eggs and one male is sufficient to fertilize all the 400 eggs in one shot – so nature has to keep a balance and it’s therefore not necessary to have a long life span for males.  Most of the Goliath spiders are of color ranging from dark to light brown with faint markings on the legs.

Goliath Bird Eating Spider- the world's biggest spider will rub its abdomen with hind legs emitting fine hairs that are irritating to your nose, eyes, throat, lungs and skin. Image Credit: Wikipedia

Fangs Big Enough to Break Your Skin

Nature also has it that the female should not have tibial spurs so that during mating the female does not feed on the male. The Goliath Tarantulas has fangs big enough to break your skin, and they actually will. Fortunately, the venom in their fangs is not very poisonous to humans. The skin may get swollen for a few hours but will heal without getting medical attention just like a sting from a wasp. If you disturb the spider, it certainly will get irritated and in self defense, it will rub its abdomen with hind legs emitting fine hairs that are irritating to your nose, eyes, throat, lungs and skin.
Camel Spider
Like the camel spider, the Goliath spider will rubs the bristles on its legs together producing a hissing sound that indicates it’s not happy with you and it’s charging for a fight with you.

Goliath Spider as a Pet?

We humans have instincts that alert you when your body doesn’t like something. When you see the Goliath spider, your instincts will instantly instill a sense of fear and loathing on the Goliath bird eating spider, and that you should keep off. But then there are those of us who like pets including pets of ugly creatures. If you are in this category that like pets and would like a Goliath bird-eating spider as a pet, then I would recommend you forget about it. The mere fact that the Goliath spider is capable of producing fine fur that is irritating to the sensitive human organs of lungs and eyes should be a warning that your life will be in danger if you and Goliath spider are to co-exist together.