Goliath bird-eating spiders are tarantulas of epic proportions. Biggest by mass and coming very close to the giant huntsman for the title of largest spider in the world. As their name suggests, Goliath bird-eaters are certainly big enough to eat a bird, although they rarely do, preferring smaller insects and invertebrates. Interestingly, it was a Victorian explorer who first reported these giant spiders and witnessed one eating a hummingbird. Like most tarantulas, Goliath bird-eaters are fairly harmless to humans. They only attack when threatened and their bite is no worse than the sting of a wasp. They live in deep burrows in the rainforests of northern South America.

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