What is the largest spider in the world?
There are two spiders that can claim this title, depending on the measurement you’re curious about. The goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi), a hulking tarantula found in the Amazon Rainforest, is the largest known spider by mass. It can weigh up to 170 grams (6 ounces), about the same as a regulation pocket billiards (pool) ball, and its enormous body reaches up to 12 cm (5 inches) in length. Its eight legs span some 28 cm (11 inches), a measurement just barely bested by our next spider, the giant huntsman. The goliath birdeater is an ambush predator and mostly feeds on earthworms, insects, frogs, and toads. Despite its common name, it rarely eats birds, though it can if the opportunity presents itself. Females can live for 20 years.
Found in caves in Laos, the giant huntsman (Heteropoda maxima) has the longest legs of any known spider. A spider’s leg span is measured from the tip of one outstretched leg to the tip of the opposite leg, essentially the spider’s maximum tip-to-tip width. The remarkable leg span of the giant huntsman is up to 30 cm (11.8 inches), almost as long as two U.S. dollar bills placed end to end. Compared to the goliath birdeater, its flat body is fairly modest, measuring only 4.6 cm (1.8 inches) long. It moves like a crab, deftly scrambling over rocks and slipping into cracks in its remote cave habitat. As its common name suggests, the giant huntsman spider actively hunts its prey, and its diet includes insects as well as small rodents and reptiles. For all its intimidating size and appearance, the giant huntsman is reclusive and not considered dangerous to humans.
