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You probably think the biggest spiders to ever walk the Earth lived in prehistoric times because back then everything was bigger, from wolves to sloths to camels. Perhaps you derive a certain sense of security from knowing giant spiders are all happily extinct, dwelling only in our imaginations and on the pages of books written by people who don’t seem to care how many readers suffer permanent psychological damage after reading them. (Thanks, J.K. Rowling.) And that’s how you manage to sleep at night, safe in the knowledge that the scrabbling sound at your front door is just the branches of a tree blowing in the wind, and not a giant, man-eating spider trying to get inside.
Here’s the truth about giant prehistoric spiders: The longest remaining leg of the largest fossilized spider ever found was a whopping 2.3 inches long, which looks like cake next to some of the giant spiders we know today. Now, giant spiders still might have existed in prehistoric times — perhaps we’ve just never found any evidence of them. But until we do, the world’s largest known spiders are actually modern spiders. What’s that scrabbling at your window again?
What exactly is that spider trying to catch with its 3-foot web?
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So let’s start our horrifying tale of horror with the eensy-weensy Nephila komaci, a species of golden silk orb weaver. Females of this species have a leg span of between 4 and 5 inches. In case you need some perspective, that’s roughly the diameter of a typical chocolate chip cookie. If you’re nervous already, please take note that this is the first spider on our list and we’re going from smallest to largest, so you may want to go find yourself a paper bag to breathe into.
According to Wired, the first live N. komaci wasn’t officially discovered until 2007, despite unidentified specimens showing up in museum collections since 2000. In addition to being among the biggest spiders, it’s one of the rarest spiders in the world. It’s native to the African continent, including Madagascar, and it might already be critically endangered since only three live specimens have ever been found and it is only known to live in a single forest in Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. And in that forest, the spider weaves a big ol’ 3-foot web. Yes, that’s right. Three feet. That’s more than big enough to capture a Hobbit and Harry Potter, though maybe not on the same afternoon. Scientists, we know how you love your new species discoveries and all, but maybe some creatures should remain undiscovered.
Can’t we just leave them on that unpopulated island?
Another critically endangered spider is the Desertas wolf spider. This charming creature is black with gray spots, lives on Deserta Grande Island in Portugal’s Madeira archipelago, and has a leg span of 5 inches, or about the size of one of those personal chicken pot pies you can get in the frozen section of your supermarket for 99 cents. Remember we are only on number two.
There are probably around 4,000 Desertas wolf spiders left in the wilid, which is 4,000 too many. We really want to care about endangered spiders, but it’s just so much easier to care about fennec foxes and sand cats and cute things that do not have eight legs and a lust for human flesh. And yes, we know spiders don’t usually lust for human flesh, at least not where scientists can see them.
According to the BBC, the Bristol Zoo is trying to help the species with a captive breeding program, and if you’ve ever seen a photograph of a mother Desertas wolf spider covered with a swarm of horrifying miniature Desertas wolf spiders, you know there has to be some sinister spider-to-human mind control happening with those zookeepers since no one in their right mind would do such a thing on purpose. Anyway. Good luck to the very endangered Desertas wolf spider. Hopefully it rebounds and then never leaves the island.
It would be pretty if it weren’t so hideous
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There are so very many things about giant spiders that are just too horrible to comprehend, like everything to do with any of them. But one thing that’s especially horrible is that so many of these giant spiders were unknown to humans before the turn of the century. How do people totally fail to notice the existence of a giant spider of any kind? No matter how big they are, spiders always find a way to get inside your house. And it’s worse because that means there could be an undiscovered species of spider almost anywhere, including your backyard, and scientists might actually make that landmark discovery only when your family finds your bones picked clean after said undiscovered species emerges from your tool shed one fine summer afternoon.
Now that you’re wide awake, let’s talk about Cerbalus aravensis, an enormous spider with a 5.5-inch leg span — roughly the diameter of a corn tortilla. Cerbalus aravensis was first observed in 2007 on the Israel-Jordan border, and its existence was reconfirmed in 2010. Not too much is known about the spider; it’s nocturnal, lives underground at the edges of salt marshes, and preys on insects and lizards using a devious trapdoor into its den. It’s also most active during the summer. Its one and only habitat is also being destroyed by mining projects, so look out: Cerbalus aravensis might be looking to relocate.
It almost certainly doesn’t eat camels
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So a giant camel spider isn’t technically a spider. It’s an arachnid, which is the class of animals that includes spiders, scorpions, and ticks, so basically everything horrible that lives on our planet. Anyway for the sake of this list we’re going to say they’re close enough to actual spiders because they look like spiders, they behave like spiders, and according to National Geographic, they «utilize digestive fluids to liquefy their victims’ flesh, making it easy to suck the remains into their stomachs,» so at this point who cares if they’re technically a spider or not.
Despite the name, camel spiders do not eat camels. According to LiveScience, they eat bugs, lizards, rodents, and small birds, which admittedly is not as horrible as eating a camel but is still pretty horrible. The giant camel spider lives in the Middle East and has a leg span of up to 6 inches, which is roughly the diameter of the pita bread you put your falafel in a couple weeks ago.
Camel spiders don’t have venom, but a bite from one is still painful. They can run up to 10 miles an hour, which is about one-third as fast as the fastest human but at least twice as fast as the average American couch potato, so just in case you really needed another reason not to go to the Middle East, there it is.
Don’t read this unless you already don’t like bananas
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Guess what, that story about the family who found a giant spider in their bananas was not an urban legend. According to The Guardian, it’s true, so just go ahead and take a couple deep breaths into that paper bag now.
The Brazilian wandering spider is not only one of the world’s largest spiders, it’s also one of the most venomous, capable of delivering a painful bite that can paralyze small prey. The bite requires antivenin, but most of these spiders don’t inject enough venom into humans to require treatment. So if the one hiding in your bananas bites you, you have absolutely nothing to worry about! Ha.
The Brazilian wandering spider has a 6-inch leg span, which is about the size of a personal pizza. Now, terrifying spiders hitching a ride on bananas and not only putting thousands of people entirely off bananas for the rest of their lives but also forcing them to completely circumvent the tropical fruits part of the produce section every time they go to the grocery store from now until the end of time isn’t something that happens very often because banana importers are careful to despiderize all their shipments. How one of those monsters actually got through is mystifying. Maybe those banana importers knew exactly what they were doing.
Hooray for urticating hairs and cartwheels of death
If you’ve ever dreamed of keeping a gigantic, terrifying, hairy spider as a pet (and who hasn’t?) you can pick up a Colombian giant redleg online and have it shipped overnight to your home, with a guaranteed live arrival! Because spiders make awesome pets. You can snuggle them while you watch TV, you can walk them around your neighborhood on a leash, and you can laugh while they flick urticating hairs at you, because that’s so adorable and endearing. In fact the giant redleg will even do a little circular dance lovingly nicknamed «the cartwheel of death» as it flings barbed hairs at your face and eyeballs. All this could be yours for $39.99.
The Colombian giant redleg tarantula is native to the tropical rain forests of Colombia and Brazil and has a leg span of between 6 and 8 inches, which is roughly the size of a Hungry Jack Complete Belgian Waffle, or your face. And if at some point you decide you don’t like having urticating hairs flicked at you on a daily basis, you could always release your spider into the banana department at Safeway, just for a laugh. Note: We do not actually advocate releasing giant spiders into piles of bananas meant for human consumption, so please don’t actually do that.
Lives in old trees and sometimes under hospital beds
Because the world absolutely needs another brand new species of terrifying spider, here’s another that was unknown to science until well after the turn of this century. According to the Smithsonian, Poecilotheria rajaei was discovered in Sri Lanka in 2009, when villagers gave a dead one to a scientist who just had to go off and find more of them so we could all be extra terrified by the knowledge of yet another giant, venomous, previously unknown spider. These spiders like to hide in and under things, like wood piles, rocks, and your shoe. And during monsoon season, they like to go into people’s houses.
Poecilotheria rajaei has a leg span of around 8 inches, which is roughly the size of a birthday cake. Happy birthday. A bite from spiders in the Poecilotheria genus can cause «severe muscle cramps lasting for days,» plus «local swelling, erythema, and moderate to severe pain,» but hey, the bite will probably will not kill you so just go ahead and try petting one if you happen to have an encounter the next time you are in Sri Lanka.
Scientists say Poecilotheria rajaei prefers to live in old-growth trees but deforestation is driving them into old buildings instead. In fact many of the first specimens were discovered living in a Sri Lankan hospital, which must have been so very comforting, especially to patients with limited mobility.
You can’t buy them in pet shops (thank god)
The Hercules baboon spider is the rarest spider in the world, in fact no one has actually seen a Hercules baboon spider since 1900, and only one specimen was ever collected. Pet stores often claim to be selling «Hercules baboon spiders,» but don’t believe them. The ones sold in pet stores are probably the species’ smaller cousin, the king baboon spider.
The Hercules baboon spider has an 8-inch leg span, so like Poecilotheria rajaei it is roughly cake-sized, although not much can be gleaned from that one specimen found more than 100 years ago. For all we know, the average Hercules baboon spider might be even larger, maybe even the size of an apple pie, or chocolate silk if that’s what you prefer.
The Hercules baboon spider might be extinct, but it will likely be a while before anyone knows for sure, since it’s native to Nigeria and its homeland is politically unstable — which means the people who live there aren’t particularly interested in hunting down giant spider nests, and scientists can’t really safely do it either. Though one does have to wonder why anyone would be hunting down giant spider nests at all, even in lands that are politically stable.
This one could probably eat a small puppy
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Any spider called «birdeater» is already terrifying. The only name that could potentially be more terrifying than «birdeater» would be «Brazilian salmon pink small puppy eater» or «Brazilian salmon pink digests-its-prey-externally.» The first of those two options is something this spider could probably pull off depending on the size and vulnerability of said puppy, and the second is the actual way tarantulas have breakfast, so go ahead and pick the one you like best.
The Brazilian salmon pink birdeater is not the biggest spider in the world, but it’s up there, with a 10-inch leg span that makes it roughly similar in size to one of those giant burgers you get to have for free if you can eat the whole thing without vomiting.
If you’re just dying to see a spider the size of a giant burger, you’re in luck. Not only does the St. Louis Zoo have Brazilian salmon pink birdeaters in places where you can look at them, thus forever limiting your ability to sleep at night, but some poor zookeeper also has to clean out their cages, give them mice to eat, and probably dodge urticating hairs on occasion.
Brazilian salmon pink birdeaters are so named because they are covered with pink hair. So if you’re shopping for a gender stereotypical tarantula for your tween daughter’s bedroom, this is your species. Just don’t also get her a puppy.
Roasted tarantula, anyone?
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Just in case the salmon pink birdeater wasn’t quite big enough for you, another option is the Goliath birdeater, which is not the largest spider by leg span, but is thought to be the largest spider by weight. The Goliath birdeater has a leg span of 11 inches, which is about as big as a family-size frittata that can feed five people with enough leftovers for the family dog, provided the Goliath birdeater has not eaten the family dog.
LiveScience describes the Goliath birdeater as being «as big as a child’s forearm» and weighing «as much as a puppy.» So now instead of just occasionally breathing into paper bags, we’ll just attach them permanently to our heads.
The Goliath birdeater can weigh as much as 6 ounces, which is about the size of a decent filet mignon. Ironically, it is also one of the world’s most delicious spiders, if you believe the indigenous people of South America, who like to roast Goliath birdeaters in banana leaves. If that’s not horrible enough, diners like to use the spider’s almost inch-long fangs as toothpicks after the meal. So they’re a delicious food and also an important dental hygiene tool. Awesome. And according to National Geographic, they taste like prawns. Let’s all agree to take their word for it.
Stay out of Laotian caves
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Scientists are fond of saying that the giant huntsman spider is the size of a dinner plate, even though the average dinner plate is closer to the size of a Goliath birdeater. Twelve inches is either a slightly oversized dinner plate or a slightly undersized Thanksgiving turkey platter, so one could say that a giant huntsman is about the size of a roast turkey, except huntsman spiders are mostly leg and couldn’t really feed more than one person.
Most non-giant huntsman spiders are a «modest» 6 inches or so. They’re common in Australia, which is not surprising when you consider Australia is home to 95 percent of the world’s things that can kill you, and makes up for that 5 percent deficiency with things that are so terrifying they kill you via heart attack. But according to Live Science, the giant huntsman (the biggest spider in the world) doesn’t live in Australia — it’s native to Laos, where it was first discovered in a cave in 2001. Yes, another enormous spider not known until this millennium. Truly, our curiosity will kill us.
Just in case you think one day you’ll be able to sleep again, here’s something to ponder. When you consider how many of the world’s largest spiders were discovered in the last 20 years, it’s probable that even more currently-unknown giant spiders will end up on this list in years to come. And the next one might be called «the American giant scrabbling-at-your-window spider.» Sweet dreams.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
«Bird-eating spider» redirects here. Bird-eating spider may also refer to eastern tarantula, some other members of the genus Theraphosa, and several species within the genus Avicularia.
| Goliath birdeater | |
|---|---|
|
|
Scientific classification 
|
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Theraphosa |
| Species: |
T. blondi |
| Binomial name | |
| Theraphosa blondi
(Latreille, 1804) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
The Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae. Found in northern South America, it is the largest spider in the world by mass (175 g (6.2 oz)) and body length (up to 13 cm (5.1 in)), and second to the giant huntsman spider by leg span.[1] It is also called the Goliath tarantula or Goliath bird-eating spider;[2] the practice of calling theraphosids «bird-eating» derives from an early 18th-century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows one eating a hummingbird. Despite the spider’s name, it rarely preys on birds.[3][2]
Physical description[edit]
The Goliath birdeater found in South America
These spiders can have a leg span up to 30 cm (12 in),[4] a body length of up to 13 cm (5.1 in) and can weigh up to 175 g (6.2 oz).[5] Birdeaters are one of the few tarantula species that lack tibial spurs, located on the first pair of legs of most adult males. They are mostly tan to light brown and golden-hued.[citation needed]
Lifecycle[edit]
Unlike other species of spider/tarantula, females do not eat the males during mating. Females mature in 3–6 years and have an average lifespan of 15 to 25 years. Males die soon after maturity and have a lifespan of three to six years. Colors range from dark to light brown with faint markings on the legs. Bird-eaters have hair on their bodies, abdomens, and legs. The female lays 100 to 200 eggs, which hatch into spiderlings within 6–8 weeks.[6][7]
Behaviour[edit]
Defenses[edit]
In response to threats, Goliath birdeaters stridulate by rubbing setae on their pedipalps and legs.[8][9] Also, when threatened they rub their abdomen with their hind legs and release hairs that are a severe irritant to the skin and mucous membranes. These urticating hairs can be harmful to humans.[9]
Like all tarantulas, T. blondi spiders have fangs large enough (2–4 cm or 0.79–1.57 in) to break the skin of a human. They carry venom in their fangs and have been known to bite when threatened, but the venom is relatively harmless and its effects are comparable to those of a wasp’s sting. Tarantulas generally bite humans only in self-defense, and these bites do not always result in envenomation (known as a «dry bite”).[citation needed]
Feeding[edit]
Despite its name, the Goliath birdeater only rarely actually preys on birds; in the wild, its diet consists primarily of other large arthropods, worms, and amphibians.[10] However, because of its size and opportunistic predatory behavior, this species commonly kills and consumes a variety of insects and small terrestrial vertebrates. They do not consume their prey in the open; rather, they drag it back to their burrow and begin the digesting process. They do this by liquifying the insides of their prey and proceed to suck it dry.[11] In the wild, T. blondi has been observed feeding on rodents, frogs, toads, lizards, and even snakes.[12]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The Goliath birdeater is native to the upland rain forest regions of Northern South America: Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, northern Brazil, and southern Venezuela. Most noticeable in the Amazon rainforest, the spider is terrestrial, living in deep burrows, and is found commonly in marshy or swampy areas. It is a nocturnal species.[13]
Culinary use[edit]
The Goliath birdeater is an edible spider. The spider is part of the local cuisine in northeastern South America, prepared by singeing off the urticating hairs and roasting it in banana leaves. The flavor has been described as «shrimp-like».[14]
See also[edit]
- Giant huntsman spider, largest known spider in the world by leg span
- Mongolarachne jurassica, the largest known fossilised spider
- Cerbalus aravaensis, a huntsman spider found in Israel and Jordan
References[edit]
- ^ World’s biggest spider face-off — see which bug wins here Archived October 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b «Tarántula Goliat: La araña más grande del mundo». Infoterio Noticias | Ciencia y Tecnología (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-02-09.
- ^ Herzig, Volker; King, Glenn F. (2013). «The Neurotoxic Mode of Action of Venoms from the Spider Family Theraphosidae». In Nentwig, Wolfgang (ed.). Spider Ecophysiology. Springer. p. 203. ISBN 978-3-642-33989-9.
- ^ «Goliath Birdeater». Animals. 2018-12-17. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
- ^ Goliath Bird-Eating Spider Archived 2016-04-16 at the Wayback Machine, Arkive
- ^ «Goliath Bird-Eater Spider». Spiders Worlds. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ «Goliath Bird Eating Spider». Blue Planet Biomes. 2003. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ Perez-Miles, Fernando; Montes de Oca, Laura; Postiglioni, Rodrigo; Costa, Fernando G. (December 2005). «The stridulatory setae of Acanthoscurria suina (Araneae, Theraphosidae) and their possible role in sexual communication: an experimental approach» (PDF). Iheringia, Série Zoologia. 95 (4): 365–371. doi:10.1590/S0073-47212005000400004.
- ^ a b Lewis, Tanya (18 October 2016). «Goliath Birdeater: Images of a Colossal Spider». Live Science. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ Lewis, Tanya (17 October 2014). «Goliath Encounter: Puppy-Sized Spider Surprises Scientist in Rainforest». Live Science. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017.
- ^ National Geographic
- ^ Menin, Marcelo; Rodrigues, Domingos De Jesus; de Azevedo, Clarissa Salette (October 2005). «Predation on amphibians by spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) in the Neotropical region». Phyllomedusa. 4 (1): 39–47. doi:10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v4i1p39-47. ISSN 1519-1397.
- ^ Striffler, Boris F. (November 2005). «Life history of Goliath Birdeaters – Theraphosa apophysis and Theraphosa blondi (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae)» (PDF). Journal of the British Tarantula Society. 21 (1): 26–33. ISSN 0962-449X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ Dell’Amore, Christine (20 October 2014). «Puppy-Size Tarantula Found: Explaining World’s Biggest Spider». National Geographic Blog. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018.
External links[edit]
- Biggest Spiders in The World
- Caring for your Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula at the Wayback Machine (archived October 31, 2013)
- Video of the Goliath birdeater at National Geographic
- Video of the Goliath birdeater being hunted by children
Spiders are often associated with feelings of fear and anxiety (arachnophobia, anyone?). Sadly, this means that we sometimes ignore their ecological benefits. For instance, various species of spiders hunt insects and other creatures that can be harmful to humans. At the same time, these animals also carry wonderful patterns on their bodies that reflect the true beauty of nature. So, if you’re someone who loves reading about all kinds of eight-legged beings, here are ten of the biggest spiders in the world.
1 Mexican Fireleg Tarantula: Five to Six Inches
Commonly known as the Mexican fireleg or rustleg tarantula, these spiders are long-living creatures that reach maturity between their seventh and tenth years of life. They are also some of the biggest spiders on the planet, with sizes ranging from five to six inches (12 to 15 centimeters).
The New World, comprising most of the Western Hemisphere, is home to numerous animals. Among them, the Mexican fireleg tarantula (scientifically called Brachypelma boehmei), is a relatively well-known species. However, to the untrained eye, these critters may also look like their relative, the Mexican redknee tarantula.
These little beasts are found in southern Mexico, where they prefer to be in the dry scrublands. There, they can be found living in burrows that are either self-made or made by other animals and later abandoned and claimed by the spiders.
Due to their large sizes, these arachnids prefer to hunt down their prey rather than spin webs to trap them. Furthermore, like many other tarantulas, these spiders also tend to flick their hairs (known as urticating hairs) when threatened, causing irritation and discomfort to their predators. But despite these factors, these spiders are also one of the most commonly found species among pet arachnids. (1, 2)
2 Brazilian Wandering Spider: Six Inches
These large spiders, with a leg span of up to six or seven inches (15-18 centimeters), have been found hidden inside imported fruit crates from Central and South America. They are also known for standing their ground when threatened, unlike most spiders that prefer to run and hide.
The Brazilian wandering spider is the common name of the genus Phoneutria, meaning “murderess” in Greek. And as its name suggests, this genus contains some of the most venomous spiders in the world.
For humans, their venom can be lethal, especially to children. However, these spiders may choose to deliver dry bites (without venom) or inject low levels of venom, causing reactions of varying severities. Fortunately, due to the availability of antivenom, deaths from their bites are not that common.
More importantly, these spiders have a reputation for “wandering” about not just in their habitats, but also around the globe. In 2014, a family in London discovered this nightmare of a spider inside their grocery delivery. It had likely ended up there after being imported from Central or South America where they are found.
However, it’s worth noting that some spiders found this way may also just be harmless banana spiders misidentified as Brazilian wandering spiders. (1, 2)
3 Colombian Giant Redleg: Six to Eight Inches
The Colombian giant redleg spider is a type of tarantula found in the rain forests of Colombia and Brazil. These beasts can grow as big as six to eight inches in leg span, making them some of the biggest spiders in the world.
Megaphobema robustum, more commonly known as the Colombian giant redleg spider, is a species of fairly quick growers. The males can reach maturity in just three to five years, while the females can grow as old as 15 years.
These “eye-candy” spiders are predominantly found in the rain forests of Colombia and Brazil. However, it is also not uncommon to find them inside pet stores and in specialized cages in people’s homes. Unfortunately, these arachnids may not be the best fit for spider-lovers who enjoy handling their pets because of their unusual defense mechanism.
When threatened, many tarantula species lift their front legs to appear bigger and more menacing. However, when a Colombian giant redleg perceives a threat, it tends to turn around and kick its back legs, flicking urticating hairs around.
Thankfully, these critters are not known to have medically significant venom. Their bites are said to be only as potent as a bee sting. (1, 2, 3)
4 Peacock Tarantula: Six to Eight Inches
Considered a critically endangered species, the peacock tarantula is easily identified by its unique blue color. When full-sized, these animals can measure up to six to eight inches (15 to 20 centimeters) in leg span.
Aptly named “peacock tarantula,” the Poecilotheria metallica is certainly one of a kind. But despite being the only blue-colored critter in its genus, it also shares some characteristics with its relatives. For example, the intricate fractal-like patterns on its abdomen are exhibited by other Poecilotheria members as well.
Interestingly, this unusually metallic blue spider actually starts out as less chromatic than its adults. Then, as it matures, the blue hues become more prominent. Also, once fully grown, these spiders can have fairly long life spans.
Of course, like many tarantulas, these arachnids are also popular pets among spider enthusiasts. However, they do pose some danger to humans due to their medically significant venom. Luckily for us, the vast majority of their bites are said to be dry bites.
Sadly, this spider is a victim of increasing habitat loss due to logging activities in the deciduous forests of Andhra Pradesh, India where it resides. As a result, it is considered a critically endangered species. (1, 2)
5 Wessel’s Tiger Ornamental: Seven to Eight Inches
This species is primarily found in the Eastern Ghats of India, with the female growing as big as eight inches. The males, however, are smaller and grow up to only seven inches.
Being an arboreal species, the Wessel’s tiger ornamental spider (Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli) prefers to reside in the hollows of trees, under tree barks, or in rock crevices. The female spiders of this species can reach up to eight inches (20 centimeters) in size. The males, in contrast, are more likely to be around seven inches (18 centimeters).
Luckily, for all arachnophobes out there, these fairly large spiders are not commonly found in human habitations. But if someone does go backpacking through the Eastern Ghats of India, they are highly likely to have a chance encounter with these critters.
However, spider-lover or not, there’s no denying the beauty these creatures present. Their wonderful patterns of daffodil-yellow base colors, offset by bands of black on their legs, are a true testament to this fact.
Unfortunately, there is very little information available on these spiders or their population numbers. Consequently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has marked it as a “data deficient” species. (source)
10 Rediscovered Species That Were Earlier Thought to Be Extinct
A lot of times, it seems that we underestimate some species that exist on Earth quite a bit. Spiders, for one, are something that most of us think as a small, tiny creature, nowhere near to being harmful or scary. However, like almost every category of creature on this planet, even spiders have something to boast of, especially when it comes to the best of what they have. Yes, there are some spiders present on this planet that can surprise you in all aspects, and give you a reason to never look upon them as some tiny, small, and powerless creatures.
The following are some of the biggest spiders you’ll ever see.
Cerbalus Aravensis
Cerbalus Aravensis
It’s actually the smallest on our list, but still big enough to surprise those who are used to see normal sized spiders. This black and white colored Cerbalus Aravensis spider was first seen in Israel in 2009. The area it can cover under its leg is about 5.5-inches. It is usually found to be living underground and is always ready to welcome any unsuspecting prey. This is the reason it is advisable to stay away from the Israeli sand dunes during night times as it is when this spider likes to look for its preys.
Brazilian Wandering Spider
Brazilian Wandering Spider
Although not one of the biggest ones on this list, nor big enough to remind you of those massive ones seen in horror or other such movies, the Brazilian Wandering Spider still offers tons of reasons to stay away from. Its leg span is just around 5.9-inches, but when it comes to the venom, it is known to have a pretty deadly one. Though it may not be as deadly as to always end up killing everyone it bites, it is deadly enough to make one suffer from unbearable pain.
Also, though its name is the Brazilian Wandering Spider, you don’t actually have to visit Brazil to find this deadly spider, as one was found in Oklahoma.
Camel Spider
Camel Spider
Though this name might be sounding too weird to some, this spider is called by it for a reason. In fact, it’s actually quite a mysterious spider and has quite a few myths surrounding him. One of it is that it eats humans and camels. However, it actually seems to be doing neither. But it does seem like it manages to scare both, which is probably the reason it’s called the Camel spider.
Furthermore, besides its already strange name, it also has another name, the Scorpion spider. Now before you become curious about this second name, let us reveal that it’s called that simply because it looks a bit like both. And to add to the already scary description, it’s also a good 6-inch long.
Hercules Baboon Spider
Hercules Baboon Spider (stompromper/Flickr)
There’s something quite unique about this spider as well. For one, it is the rarest in the world among all the spiders, with the last one being seen in 1900. Since then they have avoided the human eye completely. This spider is able to cover 8-inches of area under its leg. Despite it being called the Hercules Baboon Spider, it doesn’t feed on baboons.
Colombian Giant Black Tarantula
Colombian Giant Black Tarantula (xenesthis/Flickr)
From here is where you will start seeing the actually big spiders. The Colombian Giant Black Tarantula covers a massive 9.1-inch, but fortunately, it doesn’t cause any harm to humans, except the usual scaring. It also has a bit difficult to pronounce scientific name of Xenesthis monstrosa.
Usually black in color, it is also said to have brownish hairs and a few reddish marking, giving it a look scary enough to feature in one of the horror movies. Also, as observed in almost all types of tarantulas, the Colombian Giant Black Tarantula spiders too undergo balding in the area known as the thorax area with age.
Brazilian Giant Tawny Red Tarantula
Brazilian Giant Tawny Red Tarantula (José Luis Bartheld/Flickr)
This is one of the names that show up when one looks for the biggest spiders in the world. It has a leg span of as huge as 10.2-inches, and is native to Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. Think you are safe from it if you don’t live in one of these countries? Well, maybe you won’t after knowing that they are found as pets in quite a few parts of the world.
There’s also something more interesting to these spiders. Unlike most of their other counterparts, the mother of these spiders sticks around in order to help them escape the egg sack.
Poecilotheria Rajaei
Poecilotheria Rajaei (Wikipedia)
This lethal looking spider had been discovered as recently as the year 2009. Sri Lanka is the country it decided to first show itself in, so people looking to visit the country can consider having a second thought. Its abdomen features a band colored pinkish-gray. It has an 8-inch leg span. It seems that these spiders have taken a living to live in rocks, trees, as well as inside people’s home. Scary enough, isn’t it?
Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater
Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater (Wikipedia)
Another spider that doesn’t actually goes by his name. The Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater doesn’t eat any birds. Besides its structure, its size too is scary enough, having a leg span of 10-inches. It lives in the rainforests and has a brown colored body full of hairs having a salmon-pink color. It is these hairs it throws at its prey to make them helpless, or in other words, disable them. Also, it digests its preys in a really cruel way, so better to stay away from it if at all you find one.
The Huntsman Spider
Huntsman Spider (coolerclimes/Flickr)
If none of the above spiders have managed to scare you, probably this one will. Its body is able to reach as much as 1-foot long distance, while its leg span is about 6-inches. Though it’s native and usually found in Asia, it has also made its way to the subtropical areas of Texas, Florida and California. The way they travelled there is actually quite interesting though.
They are believed to have reached the U.S. by sticking to bananas when they were being imported by the country. This is the reason they are also known as Banana spiders. Well, maybe you will be less tempted to eat a banana imported from other country when you see it next time.
Another interesting fact about this spider is that they are surprisingly fast, despite being so very big. Also, they are perfectly capable of scurrying up smooth areas such as a window glass, as well as walking sideways without any problem.
The Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula
Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula (alishadevochka/Flickr)
So far, there hasn’t been any spider discovered larger than the Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula spider. Unlike the above spider, though, it does go by its name and eats birds. Needless to say, its body is huge enough to do that. Each of its fangs is about 1-inch long and its body too can reach 1-foot. The reason it is believed to be bigger than the spider mentioned above is because it is heavier.
It has tons of small hairs on its body which it uses to attack whatever or whoever threatens it. Also, though its bite is not believed to be deadly to human beings, unless one is allergic, its bite does cause quite a lot of pain, and other things like profuse sweating, nausea, and so on.
It’s native to the South America, and is usually found in the rainforests there. However, they are found all around the world where they are kept as pets. They make a hissing noise, so be careful when you hear anything like that in an area where you could possible come across a Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula. This noise is pretty frightening and can be heard from as long as 15 foot. It actually rubs its legs against each other to make this noise, so one can imagine how strong they would be to make such a loud noise.
A final word
Finally, though these might seem quite big to you, don’t forget that you’re even bigger. Maybe it’s our tendency to get curious about anything that turn out to be bigger than the image we have about them in our mind.