Puppy-Sized Arachnid

When we think of spiders we think of the small little jumping spiders we see hopping around or of a black widow with only the red hourglass for color. But what about puppy sized spiders? The Goliath Bird Eater of Northern South America is the biggest spider in the world with a leg span that reaches up to a foot and a body the size of a large fist. It has several defense mechanisms including a pair of 2 inch long fangs. Although it's venom isn't poisonous to humans being bitten by the spider would feel like driving a nail through your hand. Despite its name, the Goliath Bird Eater doesn't actually eat birds. Since it hunts during the nighttime, it would rarely encounter a bird. Its diet consists of mostly earthworms and other insects that it finds in the foliage on the forest floor. These spiders aren't very common. Piotr Naskrecki, an entomologist and photographer at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology, says that in the last 10 to 15 years, he's only come across this spider three times.

Goliath Encounter: Puppy-Sized Spider Surprises Scientist in Rainforest - by Tanya Lewis - October 17th, 2014 - LiveScience.

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