Goliath Tarantulas
The largest known spider species is the Theraphosa blondi, also known as the goliath tarantula or bird-eating spider. Measuring twelve inches in diameter, these arachnids may weigh up to six ounces. Full-grown males are known to possess longer leg spans than females.
Goliath Tarantula
The body of the goliath tarantula is brown in color and bears red bristles. As a result, these arachnids appear to be golden, from which they earned their Latin name. At the patella, their hair lightens to white. Like other tarantulas, goliath tarantulas possess eight eyes. However, their eyesight is notoriously poor. Goliath tarantulas rely instead on their hair's ability to sense vibrations, indicating the presence of prey or predators.
Due to its size, the diet of the goliath tarantula differs greatly from other tarantula species. These tarantulas feed upon juvenile birds, bats, frogs, snakes, lizards, mice and insects. Goliath tarantulas are capable of incapacitating large prey.
However, goliath tarantulas also serve as prey to other predators. The most cunning of these predators is the pepsis wasp, also known as the tarantula hawk. These wasps immobilize tarantulas with their sting and lay their eggs within the body of the paralyzed arachnid. Hatching larvae then consume the tarantula's body.
