How Big Is The Biggest Spider In The World?

Whether you’re afraid of spiders or think they have the cutest little faces, you have to admit they’re pretty fascinating.

But what about the biggest spider in the world? How big are we talking, exactly?

Well it turns out the world’s largest spider is pretty massive. Here’s everything you need to know.

The biggest spider in the world is the tarantula Theraphosa blondi. According to Britannica, these tarantulas are commonly known as Goliath bird-eating spiders. (But don’t worry, they don’t actually eat birds very often.)

These massive spiders measure up at 11 inches (in terms of leg-span). To put that in perspective, Guinness World Records says a T. blondi is about the size of a dinner plate.

But it’s not their leg-span that earned them this title. These tarantulas are considered the biggest in the world based on mass, weighing in at 6 ounces.

The biggest spiders in the world hail from the rainforest areas of South America. Specifically, these tarantulas live in Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana.

Instead of spinning and living in webs, Goliath birdeaters use silk to build their homes underground.

While these tarantulas are venomous to other animals, their venom isn’t dangerous to humans. However, a bite from a Goliath birdeater can range from feeling like a wasp sting to pretty painful, according to the AAAS.

Instead of protecting themselves with poison, these spiders actually use the harpoon-like hairs on their bodies for defense. These hairs would mostly be itchy and annoying to you, but could be deadly to smaller animals.

The lifespans of male and female Goliath birdeaters are extremely different. The male tarantulas live, on average, for three to six years. Females, however, can live to be 20 years old. It can take newly hatched baby spiders two to three years just to mature into adult tarantulas.

Here are some of the other largest spiders based on leg-span, according to ThoughtCo.:

For more on the world’s largest (and smallest) animals, check these out: