The biggest spider in the world is the Goliath Birdeater Tarantula; native to South America. This monster has a leg span of up to 28 centimeters and can weigh well over 100 grams. It is roughly the size of a dinner plate when all legs are extended.   It is a burrowing spider that likes to live in former rodent holes in dark, moist environments. Despite its name, this spider almost never eats birds, but favors insects, frogs, lizards and small rodents. These predators become prey to the Piaroha tribe in Venezuela, who munch on their bodies, minus the venom sacks and fangs.

As with many other species of spider, the female Goliath Birdeater Tarantula can live many more years than the male. Females live between 6 and 14 years and males live between 3 and 6 years. Many people keep these tarantulas as pets, although they are one of the more aggressive species of tarantula and should be kept by experienced spider owners. Their bite is no worse than that of a wasp sting (unless you are allergic), but I myself, might find it a bit more traumatic to be bitten by a giant spider. What can be more irritating to humans are the short, barbed hairs that this spider can release into its environment when threatened. They have been likened to the feeling of fiberglass on the skin.

Once a year, females lay between 100 and 400 eggs which hatch in one and a half to two and half months into spiderlings.