10 Biggest spiders In The World

There are more than 45,000 known species, spread around the world. Spiders are multi-legged, multi-eyed insects (arachnid, technically) and not a man swinging in NYC, wearing a red and blue suit. Generally, they have 8 legs and 8 eyes and some of them are colorful too. It is believed that they can even see more spectrum of lights than humans like the UV and IR lights. Most of us have only seen some household ones, but they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Evolved according to their habitat, some spiders spin webs between trees, walls, etc. to catch prey and live, while some dwell in holes in the ground and hunt prey using venom and their agility. Let’s see some of the biggest spiders in the world by size.

Biggest Spider In The World

1. Giant Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae)
(Leg Span- 12 inches)

If you like big spiders, you might like to pet a spider-like Giant Huntsman Spider. They have the longest leg span among all the other spiders. But as the name suggests, you have to be very careful of this hunter. They are fast and very venomous which makes them an excellent predator. It may not kill you but, one sting, and you’ll start having nausea, headache, and might even puke. Its venom is enough to hospitalize you for a week or two. The existence of these spiders is limited to Laos only. The natives have learned to maintain a safe distance from this species.

Also Read: 10 Types Of Spiders in New Jersey

Image Source: Wikimedia

2. Goliath Birdeater Tarantula (Theraphosa blondi)
(Leg Span- 11 inches)

One must have heard the name of the tarantula spiders even if they had little knowledge of spiders. The crawling animals are the biggest among the tarantulas. Contradictory to their name, this species doesn’t frequently feast on birds, however, they do like to eat mice, frogs, lizards, etc. instead. These South American spiders are pretty aggressive and venomous. When under attack, instead of running away, they bend on their rear legs and show their fangs as if challenging the attacker to a fight. Your brain will automatically try to stay away from these creatures if you ever see one.

Also Read: 9 Animals That Start With Z

Image Source: Wikimedia

3. Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater (Lasiodora parahybana)
(Leg Span 10 inches)

Among other deadly spiders, you’ll find here, you’d like to especially keep away this one from your hamsters or parrots. The Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater is generally pitch black but once mature, grows pinkish-red hairs along the body, giving it the name. They may not be very venomous, but they can injure their enemy with their 2 cm long fangs. As much as they are dangerous, they are also quite fascinating and are popular among spider breeders.

Also Read: Top 10 Deadliest Scorpions In The World

Image Source: Wikimedia

4. Grammostola anthracina
(Leg Span – 10 inches)

Grammostola anthracina of the tarantula family can be found in many regions of South America like Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay. Like other tarantulas, they too like to live in scrubs, dessert areas, and grasslands. Although they are very popular among spider petters, due to their beautiful red look, size, and behaviour, it is still advised to steer clear of handling them as their bite can sting very bad. They also have the usual diet of moths, grasshoppers, lizards, cockroaches, mealworms etc.

Also Read: 10 Biggest Butterflies In The World

Image Source: Wikimedia

5. Face-Sized Tarantula (Poecilotheria rajaei)
(Leg Span – 8 inches)

This large grey-colored scary and creepy tarantula is among the few tarantulas that are not found in South America, instead, they are native to Sri Lanka & Southern India. One of the biggest spiders in the world was discovered only a decade back in 2010, residing in abandoned buildings and trees. With the deforestation of forests, they have taken their hiding game to abandoned human buildings. Their venom isn’t very deadly for humans, but they do kill small birds, mice, and lizards with the venom sting before eating it.

Image Source: Wikimedia

6. Hercules Baboon Spider (Hysterocrates Hercules)
(Leg Span- 7.9 inches)

One of the biggest spiders in the world by size found in the African forests, the Hercules Baboon Spiders are named what it is because their long legs resemble baboon’s fingers. You may not be able to see these hairy little beasts anymore as they are believed to be extinct; with the last specimen being found in 1900. Presently, the Natural History Museum in London exhibits it. So much of the data on this species is currently a mystery due to the scarcity of the specimen. They are believed to be black or brown in colour. They were poisonous and inhabited holes in the grounds in grasslands and scrublands, feeding on insects, bugs, and small spiders.

Also Read: 10 Largest Birds Of The World

Image Source: Wikimedia

7. Colombian Giant Tarantula (Megaphobema robustum)
(Leg Span – 7 inches)

The bright red body with about a 20 cm long, hairy leg span, says much about this Columbian Giant Tarantula. Its bright bands on the leg seem to be a warning to other creatures around it. With this big body, this large spider is usually very aggressive and attacks with its hind legs. It lives on whatever it can find like lizards, insects, mice, etc. It is mainly found in the Amazon Rainforests of Brazil and Colombia.

Image Source: Wikimedia

8. Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria fera)
(Leg Span – 6 inches)

Brazilian Wandering Spiders, as you may guess, are wanderers. They move here and there on the forest floor at night and rest in the daytime on banana trees. Its name came from the Latin translation of the word murderer (Phoneutria) itself, so naturally, it can prove to be very deadly. Only a 2% dose of its venom will make you desperately need an anti-venom. Only 0.006mg of its venom can kill a mouse. It is believed to be the most toxic spider in the whole world. So going even near it should be off-limits!

Also Read: Top 10 Largest Birds of Prey On Planet Earth

Image Source: Wikimedia

9. Cerbalus aravaensis
(Leg Span – 5.5 inches)

This is quite a rare huntsman spider species, very rare. These land dwellers can be found in desert-like hot areas of the Middle East. The world is currently working towards the preservation of this endangered species. The reason for their extinction is believed to be farming and quarrying. They have a white and black colored body, and their legs have small hairs all over them. It is one of the biggest spiders in the world by size.

Image Source: Wikimedia

10. Sun Spider (Solifugae)
(Leg Span- 4.7 inches)

This desert species has many names. It is also known as Camel Spiders, Wind Scorpions, and Solifuges. They generally like warm and humid climates. You can find them on almost every continent except in Antarctica and Australia (quite the surprise right!). Talking about its feeding habits, it generally preys on bugs, rodents, small birds, and lizards. At the time of the Iraq war, a rumor spread that a spider of this species ate camels and sleeping soldiers from inside out. It turned out to be a hoax spread by the American soldiers. It was before social media was a thing, so many American soldiers and Iraqi people believed it at first.

Image Source: Wikimedia

These are the biggest spiders in the world by size. Kindly share and do post your comments.