If you saw a spider the size of a dinner plate crawling across your floor, you'd probably move house. Honestly, most people would. But out in the wild—specifically the deep, humid pockets of the Amazon and the limestone caves of Laos—these giants are just part of the furniture.
When people search for pictures of the largest spider in the world, they usually expect one monster. A single, undisputed king of the eight-legged world.
The reality is actually a bit more complicated. It’s a "tie" depending on how you measure. Do you care about weight, or are you looking at sheer leggy-ness?
The Heavyweight King: Goliath Birdeater
If we are talking about mass—the absolute "chonk" of the spider world—the title goes to the Goliath Birdeater (Theraphosa blondi). This thing is a tank.
Imagine a spider that weighs as much as a young puppy or a large navel orange. We're talking up to 175 grams. Its body alone is the size of a large smartphone. When you see pictures of the largest spider in the world in its tarantula form, this is usually the one. It’s hairy, it’s thick, and it has fangs that can grow up to an inch and a half long.
Does it actually eat birds?
Kind of. But not really.
The name comes from an old 18th-century engraving showing one eating a hummingbird. While they can eat a bird if they stumble upon a nest on the ground, they mostly eat earthworms and toads.
It’s an opportunistic hunter. Basically, if it moves and it’s smaller than the spider, it’s dinner.
The Legspan Record: Giant Huntsman Spider
Now, if you want a spider that looks like it could wrap its legs around a basketball, you’re looking for the Giant Huntsman (Heteropoda maxima).
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This one was actually "discovered" relatively recently, back in 2001, in the caves of Laos. While it doesn't have the heavy body of the Goliath, its legs can reach a span of 12 inches.
- Goliath Birdeater: 11-inch span, 175g weight.
- Giant Huntsman: 12-inch span, much lighter weight.
The Huntsman moves fast. Really fast. Unlike the Goliath, which is a bit of a slow-moving bulldozer, the Huntsman can bolt across a cave wall at speeds that would make your heart stop. It doesn't use a web to catch food. It literally runs its prey down.
What Pictures of the Largest Spider in the World Don't Tell You
Most of the viral photos you see online use "forced perspective." You've seen them: someone holding a spider close to the camera so it looks bigger than a human head.
Don't get me wrong, they are huge. But they aren't "eat your cat" huge.
Defensive Weapons
One thing pictures can't capture is the sound. The Goliath Birdeater can make a hissing noise called stridulation. It rubs its legs together to warn you to back off. It’s loud enough to be heard from 15 feet away.
Also, they don't just bite. They have "urticating hairs." If they feel threatened, they use their back legs to kick a cloud of tiny, barbed hairs into the air. If those get in your eyes or lungs, it's a bad day. It feels like being hit with a handful of fiberglass insulation.
Why These Giants Actually Matter
It’s easy to look at a photo and feel a shiver, but these spiders are vital for the ecosystem. They keep insect populations in check. Without them, the rainforests and caves they inhabit would be overrun with pests.
In some parts of South America, like Venezuela, the Goliath Birdeater is actually a local delicacy. People roast them over an open fire. Apparently, they taste a bit like shrimp or crab.
Spotting Them Safely
If you’re traveling to South America or Southeast Asia hoping to see one, you’ll need a good guide and a lot of patience. They are nocturnal. You won’t see them basking in the sun.
- Look for silk-lined burrows in the ground for Goliaths.
- Check cave entrances in Laos for the Giant Huntsman.
- Bring a high-lumen flashlight; their eyes reflect light.
Most of these spiders are actually quite shy. They’d much rather hide in a hole than interact with a human.
To truly understand the scale of these creatures, look for photos that include a standard object for scale—like a ruler or a hand—rather than those edited for shock value. This gives you the most accurate view of how these titans of the arachnid world actually look in their natural habitat.
Actionable Next Step: If you're interested in arachnology, check out the World Spider Catalog to see the latest discovered species, or look for local "insectarium" exhibits where you can see a Goliath Birdeater behind glass safely.