Goliath Bird Eating Spider - Weird Animals
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The Goliath bird eating spider (Theraphosa blondi) is considered the largest tarantula with a whopping leg span of up to 12 in/30 cm. Judging by mass it is the largest spider known to mankind, weighing in at up to 6.0 oz/170g.
The Goliath bird eating spider habituates the swampy areas of the rain forest regions of northern South America. It lives in burrows in the floor.
Despite their name, their diet mainly exists of invertebrates, but also lizards, insects and frogs.
They kill their prey with large venom fangs (0.75--1.5 in or 1.9--3.8 cm), that are able to break through human skin. Luckily the venom is relatively harmless and comparable to a wasp's sting.
They also have another nifty trick to defend themselves: when threatened, they rub their legs against their abdomen and release microscopic hairs that are irritating to the skin. The Theraphosa blondi is considered to have the most irritating tarantula urticating hairs.
The females mature after 3-4 years and life up to 15-25 years. The males, on the other hand, only live up to 3-6 years and thus die soon after reaching maturity. To make matters even worse, the male is sometimes killed after the mating proces.