There are about 42 thousand species of spiders in the world. Let's find among them the one that can rightfully be called the largest spider in the world.
So, the top 10 most big spiders in the world:
Nephila
Nephiles - these spiders stand out from the entire ten largest spiders in that they weave webs, the other 9 do not do this.
These spiders are also known as: giant tree spider, banana spider, golden weaver. There are about 30 varieties of Nephila, the size of females of this species can reach 12 cm.
There are cases of golden spiders attacking humans, but the poison of these spiders does not pose a serious danger to humans.
Tegenaria is also called the giant house spider - the span of the legs of these spiders reaches 13 cm.
These spiders are excellent at running short distances. Cannibalism is very common among them. The habitat of this type of spider is Africa and Asia, most often they can be found in caves or abandoned buildings, however, nowadays these spiders are rare.
Cerbal Arabian
The Arabian cerbal was discovered quite recently - in 2003. The maximum officially recorded paw span is 14 centimeters, however, according to some information, it can reach 20 cm. Female cerbals are larger than males.
Cerbals live in the desert dunes of Israel and Jordan. They are active only at night, like most desert inhabitants.
Brazilian wandering spider
It looks too scary, the length of the body including legs is approximately 17 cm. It is listed as one of the most poisonous in the world, their bite is life-threatening. Living in the tropics of South America, spiders are so named because they do not have one habitat. The wandering spider does not knit a web, but is always in search of a victim.
The species is very interesting in that some spiders overtake their prey by jumping, while others run and develop a fairly high speed. They hunt at night and hide in secluded places during the day.
They hunt mainly insects, but can cope with reptiles and birds larger than themselves.
This is a huge spider, part of the tarantula family. The leg span of this spider is more than 30 cm. It lives in the forests of the tropics and subtropics and is a burrowing species. Color ranges from dark gray to bright brown. The predator's paws are covered with hairs.
The baboon spider is active at night and its diet includes insects and small vertebrates. It kills its prey by injecting poison. Sensing danger, it rises on its hind legs, pretends to be intimidating and knocks on the ground with its forelimbs, making sounds similar to grinding. The venom of this spider is dangerous to humans.
Colombian purple tarantula
This tarantula belongs to the tarantula family and, together with its legs, can be more than 20 cm in length (there is an officially recorded leg span of 34.05 cm). Lives in the tropics of South America.
Sometimes you can see a rather terrible sight when a spider eats birds, but there is no danger for people. Most often it feeds on insects and small spiders, but can also eat frogs and rodents. Females can live about 15 years, males only 2-3.
Phalanges, bihorci or salpugi - belong to the order of phalanges of the arachnid class. The span of the legs of these phalanges can reach 30 cm, the body length is 5-8 cm. The brownish body and limbs are covered with hairs, in front there are tentacles similar to legs
Camel spiders go hunting at night, their menu is varied: beetles, lizards, mice, chicks and many other animals. They live in the deserts of all continents except Australia.
Phalanxes are capable of running at speeds of up to 2 km/h, which is why they are also known as the Wind Scorpion. They differ in that during defense they emit an unpleasant squeak.
Brazilian salmon-pink tarantula (Lasiodora parahybana)
Found in Brazil at the beginning of the twentieth century in 1917, body length up to 10 cm, paw size up to 30 cm. People often keep it at home as an exotic pet.
Males have a small body or more long legs, and the female’s body is larger, weighing up to 100 grams. Females can live up to 15 years. For self-defense from other predators, the tarantula shakes off its allergenic hairs, but if this does not help, then it raises its front legs and prepares to attack.
The native Australian is the largest spider in the world, known as the giant crab spider due to the fact that its legs resemble those of a crab. Lives in wooden buildings and crevices.
Individuals measuring 30 cm are gray or brown in color, but some have white or red spots. The spines on the legs are clearly visible, the body is fluffy.
These spiders are called hunters because of their ability to hunt and their high speed of movement. They are excellent jumpers. To kill prey, a poison is injected that is not dangerous to humans. They feed on various invertebrates. People can only be bitten in self-defense.
Goliath tarantula
Spider impressive size, can reach 170 grams, its height including legs is 30 cm, belongs to the tarantula family. Lives in the tropics of South America. It builds burrows up to half a meter deep with the entrance covered with cobwebs. Females can survive up to 25 years, males - up to 6.
Goliath suddenly sneaks up and quickly pounces on its prey, poisoning it with its poisonous fangs. It feeds on frogs, small snakes, mice and birds.
The Goliath tarantula is capable of producing powerful sounds with its chelicerae, which can be heard even 5 meters away. To defend themselves, they use their bright brown hairs, which irritate the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, which the spider shakes off its body towards the enemy.
The largest spider in Russia
There are large spiders in Russia too - these are South Russian tarantulas. This spider is also known as Mizgir.
This species belongs to the wolf spider family. The size of the female of this spider reaches 3 cm, completely covered with thick gray hairs. Tarantulas dig very deep vertical burrows, feed on insects, and can bite a person, but not fatally.
Big greetings to all readers of the site “I and the World”! Have you ever wondered what the largest spider in the world looks like? Most likely, many simply do not think about them and are even terribly afraid.
But these ancient “charms” deserve to know basic information about them: their name, where they are, what or who they feed on, and what to expect from them. It will be interesting for you to look at the pictures and compare them with the description in the text.
Opening our list is Nephila the goldweaver
If you go on a trip to the forests of Australia or Africa, then there is a high probability of meeting Nephila. They love to weave large webs everywhere. The web is so strong that it can hold small birds. And the residents of those places even weave scarves and napkins from cobwebs.
Together with the paws, they are up to 12 cm in size - these are females. And males are almost half the size, only 7 cm with paws. If you get in the way, he may bite. It is impossible to die from its bite, but the bitten area will hurt for a long time and may leave a scar.
In 9th place – Tegenaria wall
There is a spider in the houses of residents North Africa And Central Asia. You shouldn’t be afraid of him, he’s used to living with people and poses no danger to them. With legs spread, it measures 15 cm. It can run fast, but for a short distance. And it feeds on insects, which fall into a very thick web, where they simply “drown”.
8th place – Arabian Cerbal
It was discovered in Israel and Jordan, and only recently in the 21st century. Its size with paws reaches 14-15 cm. It lives among sand dunes and salt marshes. Its life is rather little studied, but it is known that they are active during the hot months.
In 7th place - Brazilian wandering spider
This representative of the spider world is also not too big, but very dangerous for humans. And although the first one never attacks, if disturbed, it will immediately bite. The 17 cm spider lives in the tropics of South America and loves to hide in people's houses. They hide during the day and go out hunting at night.
The diet of “Brazilians” includes insects, but they can also feast on small birds. He also loves bananas, which is why he is also called Banananov. Doesn't weave a web like its relatives, because it doesn't like to settle on permanent place, that’s why it got its name – wandering.
6th place went to the Giant Baboon Spider
Its entire body is covered with coarse hairs. This shaggy representative has a size including paws of more than 20 cm. It also prefers to hunt at night, and during the day it crawls under stones and sleeps. Loves to eat insects, small rodents and birds. It does not attack people and the bite is not fatal, although it can cause nausea. When defending itself, it stands on its hind legs and quickly knocks on the ground with its front legs, scaring away the enemy.
The Purple Tarantula occupies the middle of the list
It’s immediately clear why the tarantula is called that. The photo shows that it is bright purple in color and has yellow dots on its legs. It is not at all scary for people and is even kept at home to kill harmful insects, smaller spiders and even rodents. Found in Venezuela, Colombia and other nearby countries. Its beautiful color attracts attention, but when it eats its prey, it is not a sight for the faint of heart. The size is 2-3 cm larger than the Baboon one.
In 4th place – Camel spider
Why camel? There is a growth on his head that looks like a camel's hump - the photograph shows this well. The size of the spider can reach 30 cm. They are called as follows: phalanges, wind scorpions, sun spiders. They live in deserts on all continents except Australia. They lead a nocturnal and very active lifestyle. Prefers to hunt insects, rodents, chicks, and is even cruel to each other. They will eat everything until they die from overeating.
They can run at a speed of 15 km/h - if you run away, they will still catch up. When attacking or defending, they make sounds similar to chirping or a loud and nasty squeak. They are not too dangerous for humans, because they have no poison. But when they bite through the skin, they can introduce rotting food debris on their teeth into the wound. And this threatens inflammation and even blood poisoning.
3rd place - Salmon-pink tarantula spider
Due to its beautiful coloring, it often becomes a “prey” for collectors - because it is all covered with soft pink hairs. The tarantula's homeland is considered to be Brazil and Chile. Although its size is not the largest, only 22-27 cm, its weight reaches 100 grams. Like all tarantulas, it defends itself by standing on its hind legs in an attacking stance. Its hairs on the top of its abdomen cause allergic reaction.
In 2nd place is the Giant Crab Spider.
He is also called the Hunter. Together with its paws, it grows 30.5 cm. Its paws are curved, like those of a crab, which is why it was named that way. This structure of the legs allows them to crawl into very narrow crevices and hide there. They live mainly in Australia.
They hunt harmful insects, so they are considered useful for human habitation. They don’t attack a person only when they are defending themselves, and then nothing bad will happen, because the bite is not fatal. They run very fast and jump high when necessary.
And in 1st place is Teraphose Blonda
It is also called the Goliath Birdeater. The most terrifying looking one. The span of its paws reaches 40 cm, and its weight is 200 grams. For its size, the Guinness Book of Records awarded it the honor of showing off on its pages. Many collectors want to see Goliath in their collection, but they rarely breed in captivity, and exporting them abroad is prohibited by law.
Goliaths live in Brazil and Venezuela. They hunt frogs, mice, lizards, even small snakes, paralyzing the prey with poisonous fangs. Which grow 2 cm in length.
And despite the fact that it is called a tarantula, it prefers not to touch the birds. When attacking or defending, it makes hissing sounds. Goliath's venom has a paralytic effect, but only on small animals. The effect on humans is not so strong, but it can harm health.
See also video:
So, which spider is the largest, but not very poisonous to humans? What is the name of? Let's repeat - a huge goliath tarantula. Poisonous, dangerous and not at all scary, but simply quite cute - we have presented you with the top 10 among the big spiders of the world.
Some teenagers consider spiders a symbol of aggression and intimidation, and post pictures of animals wherever they can. But many are not at all aggressive, and even useful. If you found this article interesting, please share it on in social networks. And we say goodbye to you - until the next articles!
The largest spider in the world was discovered in the last century in Venezuela. The body length was 9 cm, the leg span reached 28 cm. The list of the most major representatives arachnids included inhabitants of tropical countries, but some of them live in Russia. They all inject when bitten toxic substance, but none of them are capable of killing a person.
Top 10 giant spiders
There are about 42 thousand in the world. When bitten, inject poisonous substance, paralyzing the victim, they inject saliva, which liquefies the insides, and suck out the contents. But the biggest spider is not always the most dangerous to humans.
Theraphosa Blonda or Goliath tarantula
An arthropod with huge limbs, a large abdomen, and powerful jaws calmly hunts mice, frogs, toads, and snakes. The largest spider in the world was discovered in 1965 in Venezuela. The leg span was 28 cm, the body size was 9 cm. The average dimensions of the theraphosis were 8 cm, the limb span was 25 cm. In 2001, it was described huge creature with a leg span of 35 cm, but the body was less than 9 cm.
Lives in Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname. The body is dark brown. Photo of himself big spider in the world is presented below. The animal has not become widespread, since it is prohibited to export it from its habitat; it practically does not reproduce in captivity.
Heteropoda maxima
The largest spider received this title due to its long limbs with a span of about 30 cm. The body length is 4.5 cm, which is inferior to the previous representative of arachnids. Lives in Laos. Large body brownish-yellow, limbs with dark spots. One of the representatives is in the Paris Museum National Museum natural history.
Interesting!
Females and males are the same color, slightly different in size. They live in caves and feed on insects. They pose no danger to humans. Exotic lovers often keep them as pets. Due to the excessive interest of collectors, the huge spider is gradually disappearing from nature.
Baboon spider
Lives in tropical and subtropical countries. Furry big creature with long hair brown in color grows to impressive dimensions. The leg span reaches 30.5 cm. This is one of the friendliest creatures on earth. The family lives together for six months and willingly shares food. Often relatives live next door and dig tunnels together. They hunt insects, small spiders, and beetles. The poison is toxic, but not dangerous to people. Often exotic animals are kept by collectors in terrariums.
Purple tarantula
The shaggy large spider lives in tropical countries, some species are found in Europe. Leg span is 25 cm. Lead night look life. They do not weave webs, they wait for prey in secluded places. They know how to dig deep, long tunnels underground. While running, they develop impressive speed.
Large tarantulas have unique color with a purple tint, thick, long hairs covering the entire body, paws, powerful jaws. Often kept as pet. The main diet consists of insects, small spiders, beetles, as well as amphibians and birds.
Interesting!
A well-fed female does not leave her shelter for months. for a person does not represent mortal danger, causes discomfort and pain.
Jaeger or crab spider
Giant spiders live in nature. They have a bright red-orange color. The span of the limbs reaches 31 cm. At the ends of the legs there are discrepancies reminiscent of crab claws, hence the name. The terrible one is not dangerous to humans, it hunts insects. In the process of chasing the victim, it develops higher speed, can jump well.
goldweaver
The rarest large spider. Lives on the island of Madagascar, South Africa. Known for his huge size. The diameter often reaches 1.5 m. Cobweb local residents used to make shiny, golden napkins, scarves, and fish balls. The leg span of the golden weaver is 12 cm, body size is 4 cm.
A rare species of large spider was officially introduced to humanity in 2000. Males are 2 times smaller than females and die immediately after mating. The poison is toxic, but not dangerous for people. Redness and swelling appear at the bite sites, and allergy sufferers have difficulty breathing.
Interesting!
In the American museum there is a large canvas measuring 3 square meters. m from the web of the golden weaver. It took 4 years, dozens of workers, and the spiders themselves to make it. The threads were taken away and the animals were released.
banana spider
The largest web-weaving spider in history. Its nets are so strong that birds get entangled in them and fishermen use them to catch fish. The body size does not exceed 4 cm, the leg span reaches 12 cm. The color is bright - yellow with black stripes. Spiders live in banana trees in Australia. They lay many larvae, thereby causing irreparable harm to the crop.
Interesting!
In 2010 it was recognized. The poison is extremely toxic, but if treated in a timely manner medical care death can be avoided.
South Russian tarantula
The giant spider belongs to the family. Hunts insects, beetles, caterpillars. Their homeland is Asia, they live everywhere, and are found in Ukraine. The body is gray-black, covered with dense hairs. Size about 3.5 cm. Lives in burrows underground and tree hollows. Rarely appears outside, attacks from its secluded place. The web is weaved at the entrance to the burrow, and also to form a cocoon for the larvae.
People are bitten when their own lives are threatened. Swelling, pain, and redness appear at the site of the attack. Children and people with weakened immune systems experience weakness, headache, nausea, dizziness.
Cross
What this giant looks like is well known to the residents of our area. There are about 1 thousand species in the world, about 30 live in the countries of the former CIS. Distinctive feature in appearance is the presence of a light cross on the belly in the upper part. The size of a large spider reaches 2.5 cm.
Lives in wildlife, shaded areas. It is found in the forest, at the edge of the forest, as well as in abandoned houses, barns, and on garden trees. The venom of a large spider is not dangerous to human life, but it causes some discomfort and deterioration in well-being. Swelling, redness, then suppuration and pain appear at the site of the bite. Children and people with weakened immune systems experience weakness, headache, chills, and other symptoms of intoxication.
Tegenaria wall
Large brown spider with long paws. The leg span is 15 cm. Lives in caves, on the walls of old houses, abandoned buildings. Lives in Europe, Africa, Argentina, Asia. This species is found everywhere. A peace-loving creature bites a person when its own life is threatened. In most cases, he tries to hide quickly. It develops quite impressive speed when running over a short distance.
Arthropods are long-time companions of humans. They inhabited the Earth long before he appeared on it. This type of animal has been well studied, including the largest in terms of the number of species, including about 42 thousand units.
Many people are interested in record-breaking animals. For example, the largest, the smallest, the longest living, etc. What is the largest spider in the world? The answer to this question will be given below.
Ancient spiders
Giant spiders lived on our planet in prehistoric times. However, their size then, as scientists suggest, was much more impressive. IN modern world the largest spider is no larger than the average size of a plate. In ancient times, according to researchers, spiders the size of small child. These assumptions are based on the existence of meganeura, confirmed through archaeological research - giant dragonflies who lived on Earth in Carboniferous period, whose wingspan was up to 1 meter. By analogy, it is believed that other insects, as well as arthropods that inhabited our planet in ancient times, could have gigantic size. However, this hypothesis has not been confirmed by archaeological finds. The name of the largest fossil spider is Nephila Jurassica. It was found in China, and is quite comparable in size to modern arthropods: its paw span is about 15 centimeters. This is a female.
General information
The largest spider in the world belongs to the Tarantula family. Its name is Theraphosa blondi. French scientist Pierre André Latreille described it in 1804, and it has been the focus of zoologists' attention ever since. These arthropods, living in mountainous tropical forests northern Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname and Guyana, are quite rare in nature.
Tarantula spiders dig deep holes and line them with woven webs. They leave their home only for hunting and mating.
Description
The females of these tarantulas, also called goliaths, as is often the case in the animal kingdom, are much larger than the males. The description of the largest spider in the world testifies to its unique sizes. Thus, the body length of a male goliath tarantula is about 85 mm, and that of a female is up to 100 mm. If you straighten all its limbs, then the size of the arthropod will be about 28 cm! The average weight of a spider is about 150 grams.
The body of the Goliath spider is dark brown, the limbs are covered with reddish-brown small hairs. But this “plumage” is not decoration, but a means of protection. When these hairs get into the respiratory system or on the skin of an enemy goliath, they cause severe irritation and force him to retreat. Tarantula spiders scrape hairs off themselves with sharp movements of their hind legs towards the enemy. In addition, small hairs serve as an organ of touch. With their help, goliaths are able to detect the smallest vibrations in the air or solid environment. The hairs partially compensate for the spider's poor vision, helping it hunt at night.
On the front legs of males there are special outgrowths-hooks, with which they hold the jaws of the female during the mating process in order to save their lives. After this process, the males hastily retreat.
In addition to hairs, these giants also have another weapon - strong poison, for a long time considered fatal. In fact, in humans it only causes severe burning and swelling. The pain is quite tolerable and can be compared with the sensations from a bee sting. But for those who suffer from allergies, a goliath tarantula bite can be a serious danger.
Reproduction
Goliath tarantulas reach sexual maturity at different time: males are one and a half years old, and females are two to two and a half years old. Until this time, males have 9 molts, and females have 10 molts. After mating, females spin a small cocoon, about 3 cm long, into which they lay eggs. The spider vigilantly guards the clutch throughout the entire breeding period (6-7 weeks), and even when going hunting, she carries it with her. At this time she is the most aggressive, and meeting her does not bode well. Little spiderlings live in a hole with their mother until the first moult, then leave the shelter.
Nutrition
The diet of this arthropod is quite varied. It includes insects, as well as small animals - snakes, frogs, lizards, rodents. Despite its name, it does not attack birds, except that it may feast on a chick that has fallen from the nest.
When attacking a victim, the goliath tarantula first bites it, immobilizing it with its poison, and injects digestive juices into its body, softening the flesh. This allows the spider to suck out the nutrients while leaving the hard shells intact.
Those who are going to keep these giants at home should provide them with familiar conditions. Optimal temperature for keeping these arthropods - 22-24 degrees Celsius, humidity - 70-80%. Since this spider is a burrowing spider and is nocturnal, the terrarium must have shelter. Good ventilation must be ensured. At the bottom of the terrarium there should be a layer of substrate 6-8 cm thick.
The spider should be fed small insects and pieces of meat. Lizards, mice and frogs can be used to feed adults.
It should be remembered that this arthropod has a rather nervous and aggressive character, and must be handled with care. The tarantula spider is not friendly, and if the owner wants to accustom it to handling, it must be done gradually, carefully removing the pet from the terrarium to avoid bites.
Here are a few interesting facts about Theraphosa blondi:
The largest spider in the world owes its name to the famous illustrator and engraver of the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, Maria Sibylla Merian, whose drawings enriched botany and zoology. Her contribution to science is difficult to overestimate, because the artist left many images of plants, insects, and animals. Her drawings still amaze today with their exceptional precision and vivid colors. Inspired by the story of researchers who supposedly saw the world's largest goliath spider devouring a bird, she depicted this scene in one of her works, and the legend thus spread further.
Interesting feature Goliath tarantulas are so-called stridulation - the ability to make peculiar hissing sounds by rubbing the chelicerae - oral appendages - against each other. It is assumed that in nature it is used by these giants to scare away enemies.
The population of Theraphosa blondi in nature is quite small, and it is declining from year to year. One of the reasons for this is that among local residents, not only the spiders themselves, but also their eggs are considered a real delicacy, and they eat them with pleasure.
The biggest and dangerous spiders in the world for humans - they are not tarantulas at all. They are considered arthropods called Brazilian wandering spiders (genus Phoneutria). Their size is much more modest, only about 10 cm, but the poison is much more toxic. The bite of the Brazilian wandering spider is of moderate pain, but in the absence of medical attention it results in paralysis and respiratory arrest. However, there is an effective antidote against this neurotoxin (PhTx3), so the number of deaths is lower than it would otherwise be.
On a note
In some lists of the largest and most terrible spiders, the first place is mistakenly occupied by Heteropoda maxima, a species discovered in 2001 in Laos. Indeed, this arthropod has a larger limb span - up to 30 mm. However, the goliath tarantula significantly exceeds it in body size: 85 and 100 mm in males and females, respectively, against 30 and 46 mm. Thus, from these giant spiders Theraphosa blondi is still considered the largest spider in the world.
Finally
The article briefly described the largest spider in the world. Although it does not pose a particular danger to humans, its size inspires respect. This unique creation, despite its repulsive appearance, is an integral harmonious part of living nature and takes its rightful place in it. We hope that the information presented in the material will be interesting and useful for readers.
Giant spiders lived back in the era of dinosaurs and then their size was not something incredible. As for our time, you can still meet such spiders, although for many people meeting them will cause either panic or admiration.
Next we will talk about one of these spiders - the Goliath tarantula or Blond's theraphosis. It is he who is one of the largest spiders in the world, since the length of his body in the leg span can reach 28 centimeters!
This formidable predator is quite widespread in the tropical forests of some South American countries, namely northern Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. It is most often found in damp, swampy areas.
The body of the spider consists of the cephalothorax and abdominal sections. The eyes and eight legs make up the cephalothorax of the spider. The abdominal organ includes the spinal organ, heart and genitals. Excretory system passes through the entire body of the spider. The abdominal part of the female has an egg chamber.
Despite the fact that the spider has poor eyesight, it is able to see in the dark. Like all tarantulas, the goliath is a carnivore. Sitting quietly in ambush, it lies in wait for its prey, then pounces on it using its fangs.
Although the spider is called a tarantula, it does not feed on birds. It’s just that the spider was seen for the first time when it was eating a bird. Vertebrates and invertebrates such as mice, lizards, small snakes, beetles, and butterflies are the main diet of the goliath.
Representatives of the goliath tarantula who are 3 years old are considered adults (mature). Sometimes after mating, the female eats her “favorite”. The goliath has sharp spines on the first pair of limbs, which serve as its protection from the female. The male lives on average about 6 years. The female can be up to 14 years old.
The female lays from 200 to 400 eggs, which she incubates for two months. After the little spiders are born, the mother spider looks after them for several weeks, after which they lead an independent lifestyle.
The Goliath tarantula is distinguished by aggressive character traits. Sensing danger, it emits a peculiar hissing sound due to the friction of the bristles on its legs. Fangs, the length of which is a couple of centimeters, as well as burning villi serve as protection. The fangs are poisonous, but not very toxic compared to other poisonous insects.
The refuge for these spiders are deep burrows, which previously served as a home for small rodents until they met their current owner. The entrance to the burrow is protected by cobwebs, and all the walls from the inside are also shrouded in it. Females spend here most of their lives, they come out only at night during the hunt and during the mating period. Leaving the house for a long time is not in their rules. Often spiders hunt nearby and drag the prey to their lair.
Besides size, there is another difference between male and female. The males have small hooks on their front legs, with which he holds the female’s huge chelicerae during mating, saving his life in this way. The color of these spiders is most often dark brown, and there are reddish-brown hairs on their legs. Because of these numerous hairs, which also cover the entire body, these spiders are also jokingly called “fluffy”.
But this is not a decoration at all, but one of the means of protection against uninvited guests. The fact is, when these hairs get on the skin, lungs or mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, they cause severe irritation. In order for the “weapon” to reach its target, the spiders brush hairs from their abdomen in the direction of the enemy with sharp movements of their hind legs. In addition, they serve as an organ of touch for the spider. The hairs pick up the slightest vibrations of the earth and air. But they see poorly.
For a long time it was believed that the venom of the goliath tarantula is very dangerous and most often leads to fatal outcome, but it turned out that this is far from the case. The effect of a spider bite can be compared to a bee sting. A small swelling appears at the site, which is accompanied by quite tolerable pain. Although for allergy sufferers its bite can be dangerous.
Spider venom has a paralyzing effect on nervous system smaller prey such as frogs, small snakes, insects, rodents, lizards and other small animals. The victim is unable to move after being bitten.
To feed, tarantulas inject digestive juice into the body of the “dinner,” which breaks down soft tissue and allows the spider to suck out the liquid and eat the soft meat of its prey.
The most interesting thing is that the tarantula does not feed on birds. Well, if only very in rare cases when he comes across a chick that has fallen from the nest. The spider got its name thanks to the German entomologist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian, who was the first to sketch it. They show a spider eating a small hummingbird. This is where the name “tarantula” stuck to it. The official description of this tarantula spider belongs to the entomologist Latreille (1804).
The following information may seem a little wild to you, but among local residents these spiders are a delicacy and they use not only adult specimens, but also spider eggs. As a result, the population of these animals in natural environment habitat is gradually decreasing. 
This individual behaves quite aggressively and does not like to be picked up. And although the goliath’s venom is not very toxic, quite a lot of it is released.
If you have tarantula goliath, then the terrarium in which he lives will look not like a dish with soil, but like a place where a very serious animal lives. The terrarium for the spider should be spacious enough.
The terrarium can be either plastic or glass, horizontal type. The volumes should be on average 25-35 liters with a closing lid. The lid is needed to prevent your pet from suddenly deciding to take a walk outside the terrarium. Spiders should be kept separately due to their inherent cannibalism.
Sphagnum, pine sawdust, and vermiculite are used for bedding. The best solution would be to choose coconut substrate more than 5 cm as bedding. In order for the animal to have the opportunity to make a hole for itself, a coconut shell or a medium-sized piece of bark should be placed in the terrarium.
The temperature regime for normal maintenance should be within 22-26C, but they can easily tolerate a drop in temperature to 15C. The main thing is that the temperature of the engorged spider is not too low. In this case, there is a high probability of the onset of putrefactive processes of food in the spider’s stomach. Humidity should be high - 75-85%. If the humidity is insufficient, there may be a problem with the normal molting of the animal. To maintain humidity, install a water bowl and mist the terrarium regularly. Provide good ventilation, this will protect the spider from fungal infections.
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The feeding process can take more than a day. The goliath spider feeds on small insects. Adults successfully cope with frogs and mice.
The feeding frequency of young spiders is twice a week, adults feed once a week, one and a half times. There is no need to feed young spiders with insects that are too large, i.e. such that would exceed the size of half the abdomen of a goliath. This can cause stress and, as a result, food refusal.
The maximum time that a goliath spider can go without food is about 6 months. But of course you shouldn’t experiment with your pet.
The most difficult period in the life of a spider is molting. At these moments you should not touch or irritate them. During molting, the Goliath tarantula and other spiders move little and do not eat anything. The regularity of shedding depends on the age of the animal. Young individuals shed regularly, but adults molt every two months or a year.
An interesting fact is that the web of tarantulas does not serve as a trap for the prey, like other representatives of this species; tarantulas are real hunters, they track and attack prey. Tarantulas wait for their prey in ambush and jump on it. This feature, as well as their coloring, has led local residents to call tarantulas “land tigers.”
Although the Goliath tarantula is considered the largest spider in the world, there is still one species that surpasses it in the span of its limbs, but is significantly inferior in body size - Heteropoda maxima, whose leg span reaches 30 centimeters. The largest specimen was discovered in 2001 in Laos, in one of the caves in Khammouane province. or for example
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