The Biggest And Largest Spiders in the World

World’s Biggest and Largest Spiders Ever Seen! 

Have you ever wondered how big the world’s biggest spiders are? Lots of us get scared even at the sight of a small, harmless spider, but imagine meeting a gigantic spider… Now that will just creep the living daylights out of you. Now we all know that size doesn’t matter, but when it comes to spiders, the bigger they are, the scarier they become. Let’s have a look at some of the biggest spiders in the world and see just how large they really are.

Let’s start with the smallest of the biggest ones, and we’ll work our way up to the world’s largest spider.

1. Tenenaria parietin a 5.5 inches spider

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Pretty creepy isn’t he? This awesome creature is quite rare nowadays, it’s found in Northern Africa but also in Central Asia. In England, this scary 5.5 inch spider is also called the cardinal spider due to the fact that Cardinal Woolsey was extremely horrified by this species of arachnids. Now, it may seem small to you, but just imagine that this “little” fellow’s body is 7.5 cm long, and if we take in to account his length with his legs, the Tenenaria parietin is 14 centimeters long.

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2. Nephila edulis: Golden silk orb-weaver

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Meet the Golden silk orb-weaver… a spider with some pretty nasty relatives, N. jurassica, which lived over 165 million years ago, just its leg span was of 15 cm, and they stand as the largest fossilized spider on Earth (who knows what we might find on other planets).

If you want to read more about the largest spider fossil ever found, click here.

Female Golden orb-weavers generally reach sizes of 4.8 – 5.1 cm (1.5 – 2 in) not including legspan and 6 inches if we include their legs, while as males are half their sizes. This species of spiders are known for the impressive golden webs they weave. As far as interactions with humans is concerned, you should know that they don’t really present a threat, well, maybe they do but just a little for your rose bushes, cause they like to “design” their webs near homes, but think of it as a good thing, they’re natural pest eaters, they can eat annoying fruit flies for desert, and save you a lot of money off insecticides.

In fact, instead fearing these spiders, you might like to know that their silk has very great potential in medicine! The chemicals in the web have a very high biocompatibility rate, and researchers are developing a way to use Nephila edulis silk as a suitable guiding material for peripheral nerve regrowth. Sounds promising!

Now, besides pests, these spiders have also been known to eat birds… have a look at the picture below.

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3. Cerbalus aravensis: 6 inches

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The Cerbalus aravensis is a relatively new species which was discovered by scientists in 2010, in the Sands of Samar, Israel. While details about its habitat and patterns remain unknown, scientists say that this is a smart nocturnal creature, which constructs underground hide-aways, with doors made of sand and glue in order to disguise the entrance from predators. Just the leg span of this spider is 15 centimetres (6 in), when we add its body… we get a scary, 7-8 inch spider… eww.

4. Phoneutria: Brazilian wandering spider: Leg Span of 15 cm

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Not only is this spider big, but he’s also one of the most venomous species found in tropical South and Central America. They get their “wandering” nickname because of the fact that during night they walk on the jungle floor in search of prey, rather than just sit and wait for prey to come to them. Their Latin name, Phoneutra means “murderess” so they have two scary elements in their name, enough to get us running the other way.

Some members of its family are known to pose a threat for humans, if the spider manages to insert a full venom dose, it’s bite can lead to serious injuries or even death. These spiders are highly dangerous and should be avoided at all cost.

5. Hysterocrates Spider: 17,8 cm

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This spider is a member of the Theraphosidae family and people also have them as pets these days (what ever happened to the good old fashioned cat or dog in the back yard?)

6. Hercules baboon (Hysterocrates Hercules): leg span of 203 mm (8 inches)

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If you’re thinking of monkeys when you hear the word baboon, think again…cause there’s a spider in town which is also named like that, and he’s big! The Hysterocrates Hercules belongs to the tarantula family, and it’s 20,3 cm long. These little critters are now used as pets… a pretty gruesome pet. Have a look at the video below:

7. Xenesthis immanis Purple Bloom Bird-eater Spider: 23 cm

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Xenesthis immanis (also known as the Colombian lesser black) belongs to the Lycosidae family. This large spider is 23 cm long and it has been known to eat live birds. It hunts alone and it is not dangerous to humans.

8. Camel Spider: 15,4 cm

This carnivore is likely to be found munching on insects, lizards and rodents, as well as the occasional small bird.  The camel spider belongs to the Solifugae order from the Arachnida class. The order has more than 1,000 known species and their size ranges from a few millimeters to 300 mm (12 in) including legs.

9. Goliath Birdeater Spider: 25,4 cm

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This humongous arachnid belongs to the tarantula Theraphosidae family and it’s considered the second largest spider in the world. Some specimns have reportedly been seen gulping up humming birds, so that’s what gave them the “birdeater” nickname. These spiders have a leg span of up to 30 cm (12 inches) and may weigh more than 170 g (6 ounces). Thir bite is harmless to humans despite their scary fangs, therefore, these spiders make great pets for spider fans.

10. Lasiodora parahybana Brazilian Salmon Pink: 27 cm

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The Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird-eating Tarantula is commonly found in Brazil and it was first discovered in 1917, near a city where it was endemic, namely, Campina Grande, Paraíba. Now they are very common as pets.

11. Huntsman Spider: 30 cm

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These ugly creatures get their name from the fact that they are very agile when stalking prey. They also are called giant crab spiders, because of their amazing size and shape. Luckily, they are not harmful for humans, though they have been known to inflict defensive bites.