Goliath birdeater

The Goliath birdeater is a truly enormous spider, and it holds the record for the heaviest spider in the whole world. From the tip of one leg to the tip of another it can stretch about 30 centimetres across, as wide as a dinner plate, and it can weigh as much as a ripe apple. Its body is covered in soft tan and golden-brown hairs, and it lives in the warm rainforests of South America.

With such a big name you might expect it to hunt birds, but that almost never happens. This gentle giant mostly eats insects, earthworms, and frogs that it finds on the dark forest floor. It creeps up quietly, then carries its meal back home. Rather than chewing, it turns its food into a soup inside and sips it up, the way many spiders do.

During the day the Goliath birdeater rests inside a cosy burrow it digs in the damp ground. It comes out at night, feeling its way through the leaves with its sensitive legs, because it does not see very well in the dark. It is a calm, homebody sort of spider that would much rather stay tucked away than go looking for any trouble.

If a big animal comes too close, this spider has some clever ways to say “please leave me alone” without hurting anyone. It can brush loose hairs off its tummy that feel itchy, or rub its legs together to make a gentle hissing noise. It can give a nip if it feels cornered, but its bite is mild, a bit like a bee sting, and it would nearly always rather hide than bite.

Goliath birdeaters live across the rainforests of northern South America, in places like Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil, where they dig their burrows in marshy, swampy ground. Scientists have not yet given this spider an IUCN Red List rating, so its status is Not Evaluated. Looking after the great rainforests it calls home helps make sure this record-breaking spider keeps on thriving.