Goliath Birdeater: The Biggest Spider In The World, Or Is It?

Spiders come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny, intelligent jumping spiders, to the extremely deadly and chonky Hercules. Giant mythical spiders have been depicted time and time again throughout history – most recently in the form of Adam Sandler’s space-therapist – but fiction aside, what is the biggest spider currently stomping around the Earth with us?

Narrowing it down to the definitive beast of all eight-legged beasts is a difficult task as many spiders share similar dimensions and many species exhibit sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism describes the physical differences between males and females of the same species. In some spider species, like many reptiles, the females are larger than the males which enables them to carry a greater number of eggs.

Generally, spiders can be divided into two groups or “infraorders”. Araneomorphae makes up 90 percent of spiders on Earth and are considered “true spiders”. These include species of orb weavers, jumping spiders, and huntsman spiders, all of which are characterized by fangs that face each other in a pincer-like fashion.

The second group is made up of ancient spiders called mygalomorphs. This group, consisting of over 3,000 species, includes all tarantulas, trapdoor spiders, and funnel web spiders. They are distinguished partly by their downward fang-positioning and are considered more primitive than the araneomorphs, having remained relatively unchanged for thousands of years. Their slow evolution means they’ve retained certain features from ancient times, namely their impressive size.

The Goliath birdeater

Measured in terms of size and mass, the biggest spider in the world is the Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi), more specifically the female Goliath birdeater, which has been described as being the size of a young puppy. 

It’s speculated that the name comes from a 19th-century engraving that depicted a tarantula eating a hummingbird, which led to the entire Theraposa genus being labeled “birdeaters”. Others, however, believe the name came from an account of South American explorers in the 16th century who came across some chicks that had fallen into the web lining of a Goliath burrow, leading to the assumption that these small birds were the spider’s intended prey.

However, the name “birdeater” is a bit of a misnomer as Goliath birdeaters, like many giant spiders, feed predominantly on worms, amphibians, and large insects. But their large 2.5-centimeter (1-inch) fangs and potent neurotoxin venom mean they are more than capable of chowing down on small birds and other similar-sized prey like small rodents.

But despite being deadly to a host of smaller species, Goliath birdeater venom is not lethal to humans, however, humans are harmful to Goliath birdeaters as they’re said to be a delicious delicacy when roasted in banana leaves. 

Like many spiders, Goliath birdeaters are nocturnal and almost entirely blind, instead relying on their sensitive, hairy bodies to detect slight vibrations and guide them toward their next meal. They also have impressively long lifespans, with female Goliath birdeaters living for roughly 20 years, while their comparatively small male counterparts generally live for just three to six years.

While many tarantula species make great pets and tend to have docile temperaments, the Goliath birdeater is one of the more bolshy species. They are known to be skittish, nervous, and even aggressive with their impressive fangs potentially causing a nasty bite. 

The giant huntsman

It can be argued, however, that the Goliath birdeater isn’t the largest spider in terms of leg span. Despite being the number one reason arachnophobes tend to avoid visiting Australia, the giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima) is predominantly found in Asia, which is where it was first identified in a cave in Laos as recently as 2001.

There are thousands of subspecies in the huntsman family (Sparassidae), many of which are common across Australia, Asia, Africa, and South America, but only a few people have actually seen wild giant huntsman in the 23 years since its discovery.

The huntsman family get their name from how they catch their prey. No, this doesn’t mean it “hunts man”, just that it is a hunting species that doesn’t catch food using a web. Instead, they will spend much of their time hiding and waiting to ambush their next meal.

How big is the biggest spider in the world?

For size and mass, the Goliath birdeater wins “biggest spider” hands down. With a leg span of 28 centimeters (11 inches) – which is the size of a dinner plate – a chonky body that stretches 13 centimeters (5 inches), and a hefty weight of  175 grams (6 ounces), these spiders have been able to accumulate such impressive mass by being a grown-dwelling, burrowing species.

But if you like your spiders lanky, the giant huntsman wins for having the longest legs. Unlike many other spider species, it’s the male giant huntsman that have the largest leg-span, although the females have larger bodies. 

If you thought Goliath’s legs were impressive (or terrifying), this lanky freak has a leg span of roughly 30 centimeters (12 inches), the size of, well, a really big dinner plate. However, the giant huntsman is much slimmer than the Goliath birdeater, with a body length of just 5 centimeters (2 inches), and a pathetic weight of just 167 grams (6 ounces), positively puny in comparison to the mighty Goliath. 

Where is the biggest spider in the world?

It’s behind you! Joking, unless you live in the dense rainforests of northern South America where the Goliath birdeater creates its earthy, web-lined burrows in the soft soil. Found in Venezuela, northern Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname, these fatties tend to keep their porky bodies close to the ground, hiding under rocks and roots. The rotund physique of tarantula species makes them particularly susceptible to fatal injuries induced by falling from relatively low heights, so most like to keep their many feet on solid ground.

The more athletic of our pair, however, are native to Laos where the freakishly fast giant huntsman lives in caves and other dark spaces. They prey on insects, small reptiles, and even rodents, but, although mildly venomous, their venom is not potent enough to seriously harm humans. They are, however, masters of the jumpscare, and are able to run at mind-boggling speeds of nearly 1 meter (3 feet) per second.

Some more impressive arachnids

The close relatives of the Goliath birdeater are also among some of the largest arachnid species. The pinkfoot Goliath (Theraposa apophysis) and the Brazilian salmon pink birdeater (Lasiodora parahybana) both have a similar leg span of roughly 28 centimeters, but neither can measure up to Goliath’s large body and impressive weight.

Additionally, the similar-sized Hercules baboon spider (Hysterocrates hercules) and king baboon spider (Pelinobius muticus), native to West and East Africa respectively, are the largest spider species in the continent growing a leg span of up to 20 centimeters (8 inches). They are so named because their legs are said to resemble a baboon’s fingers. 

Another South American giant, native to Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, is the Brazilian giant tawny red tarantula (Grammostola anthricina). With a leg span of 25.5 centimeters (10 inches), this beast, although beautiful, does have venom that’s harmful to humans. However, it has a famously calm and docile temperament, making hostile encounters with humans unlikely. 

And finally, a recent discovery in 2009 awarded the innocent Poecilotheria rajaei the terrifying name “face-sized tarantula”. Although harmless to humans, as a result of deforestation in its native habitat of Sri Lanka and India, the face-sized tarantula can often be found taking refuge inside buildings, and if you did happen to find one on your face, its 20-centimeter (8-inch) leg span would indeed cover most of it.

Deforestation is a major concern for all large spider species, despite many not being officially classified as endangered yet. Many species are slowly being pushed out of their natural homes, increasing chances of interactions with humans where they are further threatened by the widespread demonization of these beautiful beasties.

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