The Biggest Spider In The World. As humans, we are afraid of spiders. It’s even more serious for some people though, with arachnophobia associated with panic and fear. If you’ve ever seen a spider that is the size of a hand or larger, then you’d know what we mean. Their bodies are compact and are less visible from a distance. You’ll be lucky to see them at all unless you’re up close.
Identifying The Biggest Spider In The World
Have you ever wondered what makes a spider deemed “huge” and what kind of spider sets the standard for size? The Giant Huntsman Spider is the heaviest in size, while the Goliath Birdeater is the largest. Their distinction sets them apart as two different measures of size.
However, they are reclassified as the world’s biggest spider due to their massive body size, weight, and overall length. It’s hard not to feel fear when seeing these spiders at work!
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Goliath Birdeater/Theraphosa Blondi – The Biggest Spider In The World
The goliath birdeater – scientifically known as Theraphosa blondi – is a tarantula species of the Theraphosidae family. Its body weight is 170 grams (6 ounces), body length is around 13 centimeters (5 inches), and leg span is about 30 centimeters (12 inches). In addition, the spider feeds on birds rarely, as the creature was named ‘birdeater’ because of a carving depicting it feasting on a hummingbird.
Physical Appearance Of The Hairy Crawler
The goliath birdeater provides some other impressive features. Their body is covered with variegated hairs, mostly dark and light brown hues with shades of golden. They have eight legs and no antenna like most spiders. The most surprising fact about the anatomy of a birdeater’s body is that despite having eight eyes, their vision is so weak that they can only rely on their hairy body to detect movements or vibrations in the surroundings.
Stridulation – Scary Or Very Scary?
The word “stridulation” is used to talk about the clicks and snaps you hear when two surfaces rub against each other. Many animals use vibrations to attract mates or to scare away predators. For example, crickets stridulate on summer nights to entice their prey, while tarantulas do it for a completely different purpose: self-defence.
Though tarantulas produce a very audible hissing noise when they make this noise, you can tell whatever animal is doing it by looking at its hairy appearance. Generally, it acts as an alerting sound so that the spider’s potential enemies are scared away before they have a chance to step on or bite the tarantula.
The Venomous Sting
The tarantula stridulation method isn’t the only way they defend themselves. It has an even more ferocious way of protecting themselves, if that is possible. They are able to do this in a variety of ways; firstly, the largest spider in the world stands up on its hind legs in a threatening manner.
If the predator is still adamant and not backing away, then it starts to go into defense mode! Its body’s two fangs hold highly toxic glands which release venom into their prey for any signs that cause them to retaliate or become threatened. However, we don’t often see them go into defense mode because it will take a substantial amount of energy from them.
Food And Diet
A bird-eating spider is a dangerous creature that can be found in parts of Africa. In fact, they’re so big on average that they do not even hunt birds! They usually prey on smaller creatures, like frogs and mammals. However, these spiders have no special hunting technique, so when they try to capture their prey off-guard, they tend to use those fangs to attack the smaller animal.
Danger For Human Beings
As terrifying as they may seem, bird-eating spiders don’t pose a threat to humans. The venom of these spiders doesn’t pose a much hazard than a wasp sting. If you’re scared, though, that they’ll attack your face and cause some serious damage, don’t worry! Bird-eating tarantulas will only bite if you invade their territory or try to harm them.
They of course would prefer not to fight with you, so if you back off and give them space, they’ll spare your life without hesitation! But, if you don’t draw back from the warning hiss of hair that precedes the bite – it won’t be pretty. The hairs can cause irritation in your eyes and lungs for quite awhile after encountering these spiders!
The Goliath Birdeater As A Scrumptious Meal
Despite its danger, a goliath birdeater is considered a savoury meal in northeastern South America. This spider has powerful venom that can cause vomiting, paralysis and even death if not properly removed when caught.
But after a successful hunt, the local population removes the stinging hair from its body to make it good for consumption and then wraps it around in banana leaves to roast it. It might be hard to stomach but their residents say the meal is delicious.
Comparison With Other Huge Insects
Giant bird-eating tarantulas don’t exist in the wild. No, giant spiders that were much larger than goliath bird-eating spider have existed. The difference may have occurred because of the changes in habitat and surrounding environment today. Insects need suitable places to live, or else they risk extinction.
New Sentences: Even though the giant bird-eating tarantula is the biggest spider in the world at present, you cannot regard it as the biggest insect to exist. As scary as it sounds, even more gigantic species of spiders that were much larger than the goliath bird-eating spider have existed. The difference may have occurred due to evolution in the world today. The changes in habitat and the surrounding environment hugely affect the size and lifestyle of insects that exist in the present day.
The Final Word
You probably know a lot about these enormous spiders, thanks to their sheer size and fearsome appearance. They lack any negative introverted effects on the community so you can feel safe. Give them a closer look at nature’s unique wildlife through the processes of their living cycle.
