Here’s A Look At The World’s Largest Spider That’s Moved Into Northern South America
Nature is a crazy thing and so many people have seen some really odd animals and insects, but giant spiders should like something out of a horror movie. Spiders are definitely one of people’s biggest fears as many humans suffer from arachnophobia, but even if you don’t, you might after seeing this giant spider.
Many of us imagine large breeds of spiders to live in places like Australia, where we usually see these giant eight legged creatures. However, the world’s largest spider has actually moved into South America and you might just be stunned by how big these spiders really get.
Many of us can’t deal with smaller spiders around our home or outside, much less a giant spiders should that’s the size of a large dinner plate. What’s crazier is that these aren’t even the biggest spiders to exist, but they are the world’s biggest spiders as of now.
If you’re interested in seeing what these spiders look like, where they are found, and just want to know more about them then keep on reading because we’re going to give you a full look at these giant eight legged friends and what you should know about them.
Let’s dive in and see what we know about these big guys.
The giant spider breed that we’re looking at is the Goliath Birdeater.
This spider is named the world’s largest spider and for a good reason. The Goliath Birdeater or therapist blondi, is the largest spider ranked on their mass and overall size.
These spiders, surprisingly enough, are actually not venomous at all. Their size is enough to scare away a large animal (and humans) but according to National Geographic, their bites might cause a sting but they aren’t venomous.
Typically this spider can weigh about 6 ounces and it can get about 11 inches long. The body alone can measure about 5 inches and the spider’s size is usually compared to that of a dinner plate.
IStockI honestly might would cry if I saw this beast in person.
This spider usually lives in burrows as they await for prey. They are even considered as a delicacy in South America as they are roasted up and serviced in banana leaves as a dish.
The Goliath Birdeater got its name from an 18th century engraving that showed a tarantula eating a hummingbird. Despite its name, this Goliath Birdeater actually doesn’t feast on birds often, even though it could because of its size.
This spider also doesn’t have great vision despite it having eight eyes. It relies on hairs on its body that sense vibration instead of utilizing their eyes.
iStockThese vibrational hairs are prominent on this eight legged spider.
The spider rubs its legs together to send little hairs with tiny stingers into their prey as a defense mechanism. Doing this also creates a hissing noise which can deter predators from them.
The hissing can be heard about fifteen feet away, which is beneficial to keep predators far away from the spider. When it feels threatened, it can also stand on its hind legs to show the sharp fangs to the predator.
IStockAfter hearing about all of the awesome things this spider can do, it’s actually a little less scary and a lot cooler. However, this spider is still giant and it’s crazy to believe that some people are eating these as a delicacy when most of us would be stepping on it as fast as we could.
Would you ever eat a spider?
