The largest known spider is the giant Goliath or birdhouse tarantula ( Theraphosa blondi ). It hunts by ambushing and its legs have a wingspan of up to 11 inches.
It can weigh more than 100 grams, being the maximum registered weight of 155 grams corresponding to a female in captivity.
Theraphosa blondi
This spider lives mainly in the coastal jungles of Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana and, despite its name, it mainly feeds on insects and frogs.
Its poison is far from deadly , as is popularly believed; its chelicerae cause a deep wound and the pain can last up to 48 hours, as well as nausea and sweating.
Although spiders are covered in elongated villi called trichobotrians, they also have an exoskeleton. When they grow larger than their exoskeleton, they shed it in a process called "shedding."
Some hunting peoples, such as the Yanomami, use them for food . The Yanomamiös or Yanomamis are an American indigenous ethnic group divided into three large groups: Sanumá, Yanomam and Yanam.