20.04.202027.05.2017

Nature is a real sorceress who managed to create multifaceted and unique forms in her kingdom. Spiders are one of the most common and numerous of its representatives. They have always lived everywhere. You can meet both tiny spiders and real giants. Most of these arthropods do not pose any danger to humans. But many are interested in the name of the largest of them on the planet, where and how it lives.

The biggest spiders in the world

Huge spiders lived on the planet even during the dinosaurs, in those days their size was not perceived as something unusual or unnatural. Acquaintance with such giant spiders living today can cause different feelings: for some, a panic state, for others, admiration. There is a top 10 of these representatives of the animal world according to their parameters.

In the honorable tenth place in the list of the largest spiders in the world is the large Nephila. Translated from Greek as "loving to weave." Most often, nephiles are found in hot climatic conditions America, Australia, Asia, Africa. These representatives of arthropods are characterized by the presence of a body up to 4 centimeters and paws over 12 centimeters long. But more such sizes are typical for females.

The males of these arachnids are much smaller - up to 10 centimeters along with the legs. Green with yellow color with some transition to a reddish tint and a white belly and head - a characteristic color scheme. This arachnid weaves not only the largest, but also a very strong and durable web.

Fishermen in southeast Asian lands, as well as Oceania, use the webs made by these spiders as a fishing net. The web is woven between the branches, flies, butterflies, birds and other living creatures get into it.
The female sits in the center, while during the mating season, males sit on the edges of the web, waiting. Nephil's bite is quite painful, the skin at the site of damage immediately turns red, and in some cases becomes blistered.

Important! The poison of this representative of arachnids is toxic, but it is not fatal to humans.

The name itself indicates that this species of arachnids prefers to stay on the walls of caves, non-residential buildings, therefore it is also considered a giant house spider. The size of his body is up to 8 centimeters, but due to the large span of his legs, sometimes reaching 13 centimeters, and their amazing curvature, this representative of arthropods looks even larger.
Wall tegenaria is characterized by a pale gray color and a brown tint of legs. These spiders are excellent runners over long distances. In the struggle for the chosen prey, they are able to kill their own brethren. Wall tegenaria is quite rare, as it lives in Asian and African territories, in Uruguay, Argentina. This species occupies the ninth place in its dimensions.

The eighth place in the parade of the largest spiders on the planet allows this arthropod to take its rather impressive dimensions: with a relatively not the most voluminous body in the range from 5 to 7 centimeters, it has paws more than 17 centimeters long. Seeing such a spider, with a total size of almost a quarter of a meter, at best, everyone will be wary.

Its body is characterized by a brownish color and the presence of hairs with increased sensitivity. There are 8 subspecies of this arachnid. There are also those who run, which overtake their prey at great speed, and the jumpers, which hit the prey in a jump. This type of arachnid received its full name for constant thrust to move in search of new prey and food.
These spiders eat a variety of foods:

Zhukov;
reptiles;
feathered;
other arachnids.

They hunt at night, during the day hiding under stones, in crevices, in houses. But these representatives of arachnids and tropical fruits, especially bananas, love to eat. Therefore, they are often found in boxes with these exotic fruits.

Important! The Brazilian wandering spider will not attack a person first, so when you see it, it is better not to touch it. This feature of this animal helped save more than one human life.

Cerbal Arabian, ranked seventh in the ranking, lives in the Israeli, Arabian and Jordanian deserts. Therefore it appearance helps him feel as comfortable as possible among the sands: an inconspicuous yellow color, black lines on the paws, the body is covered with hairs.
Its relatively small body of 3 centimeters has legs, the length of which is on average 14 centimeters, but can reach all 20. Females, as is often the case with arachnids, are larger than males.

Did you know? Cerbal Arabian conducts its life only at night, hiding from the burning sunlight during the day, so scientists became aware of this species only in 2003.

They called this representative of arachnids, belonging to the family of tarantulas and ranked sixth in the list of the largest, for the similar appearance of its limbs with the fingers of a monkey. The paws of this animal can grow up to 30 centimeters, while the dimensions of the body are not at all impressive - from 5 to 6 centimeters, but can reach 10.5 cm. It has hair, the color of the body varies in brown and gray tones, has slightly noticeable black dots and stripes that can create a specific pattern.
For the places of residence of these representatives of arthropods, they are often called the African tarantula, as well as the Red Cameroon baboon spider.

Like other arachnids, baboon spiders are cannibals by nature.
These arachnids hunt for prey at night and eat:

Zhukov;
reptiles;
amphibians;
scorpions;
cockroaches;
butterflies;
termites.

For humans, these spiders pose little to no threat if left untouched. If protection is needed, the poison released by the baboon spider when bitten by a person can lead to many hours of paralysis, causes vomiting and shock.

Did you know? Of interest is the method of attack, attack or defense of the Baboon Spider: standing on its hind limbs, it begins to hiss like a snake.

Fifth place in terms of size was taken by a rather rare Colombian purple tarantula, based in the humid tropics of South American territories. The originality of the velvety black color of the body, the star-shaped pattern on it and the purple paws with a raspberry tint, as well as the amazing hairiness of these representatives of arachnids, makes it tempting to keep them at home as pets.
When keeping the Colombian purple tarantula as a pet, it is necessary to take into account their ability to aggression, as well as the possibility of allergic manifestations when a person comes into contact with his hairs. But for people, they do not carry a special danger.

In size, the body of this representative of arachnids can reach 10 centimeters, while its limbs can grow up to 25 centimeters. It hunts, as a rule, from shelters, and its diet includes:

rodents;
frogs;
various insects;
birds.

Thanks to his passion for birds, he got his name. Females live up to 15 years, males only a couple of years. The number of these representatives of arachnids on the globe very low, so meeting them is not so easy.

Inhabits Phalanx, ranked fourth in the list of the largest among famous spiders, in a halo from the Pyrenees to the Gobi Desert. Solpuga is another and more correct name for this species, which means “running away from the sun”. There are also names of bihorka, phalanx spider, wind scorpion and some others. But this species got its main name due to the presence of some bulges on the head, similar to camel humps.
The size of the body of these spiders is up to 8 centimeters, the span of the limbs is up to 28 cm. The color of the body of these animals ranges from yellow to brown. There are elongated hairs on the legs. Phalanxes can reach speeds of up to 16 km / h. They are active at night, their prey is:

beetles;
rodents;
reptiles;
feathered.

One thousand - such is the variety of these arachnids.

Important! Phalanxes are capable of attacking a person. They do not have poison, but they can bite through the skin, cause very painful sensations, as well as blood poisoning due to the presence of putrefactive residues on chelicerae. The bite site is treated with an antiseptic agent as soon as possible, and when inflammatory process an antibiotic is taken.

An honorable third place was taken by the salmon-pink tarantula, which is found in Brazil. It often serves as an object of breeding in the home. Their furry body up to 10 centimeters with sweeping thirty-centimeter legs, the originality of black in the center with a gradual transition to gray on the limbs of color with pink patches - all this makes the contemplation of this representative of arachnids unforgettable.
The salmon-pink tarantula is able to protect itself with the help of a hairline, which is characterized by burning and can cause allergic manifestations. They shake off poison from it if necessary, while raising their forelimbs.

Did you know? First pink tarantulain the lands of Brazilseen in 1917.

The females of these representatives of the arthropod family are always larger than the males, and they live much longer, their age can reach 15 years. By their nature, these animals are aggressive. They feed on birds, snakes, lizards. These representatives of arachnids are real killers with a lightning-fast ability to attack and defeat their prey in a matter of seconds.

In second place is a really huge representative of arachnids - the Giant Crab Spider. The span of its limbs significantly exceeds 30 centimeters, while the body is not very different in size from other species. It was the curvature of the paws that allowed him to get his name for his resemblance to a crab. Thanks to this form of limbs, this animal easily climbs tall trees and penetrates into cracks inaccessible to others.
The unusual ability of this spider is its ability to move not only forward, but also to the sides with the help of the shape of the limbs. And he does it fairly quickly. Thanks to this ability, it belongs to the sidewalker family.

The color of these giants varies from grayish, light brown to black and white, the body has a sparse hairline. The females of these representatives of arachnids are always ready to defend their brood to the last. These animals live in the lands of Australia. The most favorite places for them to live are the bark of large trees and stones, where they hide under them. These representatives of the arthropod family move rapidly with the help of jumps and also instantly overtake their prey and kill it by injecting a poisonous substance.
Prefer to eat:

various insects;
frogs;
invertebrates.

For the human body, the poison does not pose a deadly threat, but it is better to avoid the bites of this predator. After a bite, pain in the head, vomiting, nausea, and edematous reactions may occur.

The most honorable first place in terms of its dimensions is occupied by the goliath tarantula. This is the largest spider in the world. The impressive parameters of this representative of arachnids cause terrible and terrible sensations even among those who consider themselves brave. A shaggy voluminous body, whose weight is more than 200 grams, limbs, the dimensions of which reach 40 centimeters, the presence of poisonous fangs two and a half centimeters in the mouth, make the presented spectacle impressive. The body of females grows up to 10 cm, males - 8.5 cm. Its color is all shades of brown, on the limbs there are transverse stripes of white and reddish hairs.
This giant lives in the tropics South America, most often it is Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname. Here, half-meter burrows, covered with cobwebs and located in areas with high humidity and swampiness, become its habitats. The big-eyed goliath tarantula is distinguished by excellent night vision and quick reaction times.

Pursuing his prey, he attacks her from an ambush with great speed, plunging his fangs deep into the body. It is distinguished by aggressiveness, before attacking, it produces frightening sounds and shakes off the allergenic substance from the hairline.
Their victims are:

insects;
amphibians;
snakes;
rodents;
lizards;
butterflies.

This arthropod giant is not very fond of birds. In captivity, these animals show poor breeding ability. The poisonous substance itself in this spider is not characterized by a special strength of action, therefore it is not dangerous for humans, but shaking the poisonous substance from the hairs can cause severe allergies, even asthma.

The largest spiders in Russia

Has its giants and Russia. Such is the South Russian tarantula. The females of this spider reach 5 centimeters, the males - 2.5. These arachnids live in the steppes and deserts. In the daytime, they sit out in their mink shelters, while at night they hunt for insects, paralyzing them with their poison. Although these spiders are considered poisonous, their size does not allow them to pose a particular danger to humans, although some convulsions of a local nature, shortness of breath, and numbness when bitten are possible.

Did you know? For the first time, the goliath tarantula was introduced in 1804, thanks to a French entomologist. Contemporaries brought him into the Guinness Book of Records.

These representatives of arthropods breed at the end of summer. The female lays eggs in a mink, wraps them in a cocoon and wears them on herself until the cubs appear. Gradually, little spiders themselves leave the female and look for their habitats. The strength of the poisonous substance depends on the time of year and gender. The most poisonous are mature females in July during mating. When the tarantulas have just woken up or are preparing for hibernation they are almost non-poisonous.

Also in the category of large spiders of Russia belongs to the Large floating spider, or hunter spider.
He lives in the coastal zone of various reservoirs. In modern conditions, it is on the verge of extinction. In the Russian territories in Karelia and the Samara region, its subspecies is found - the West Palearctic. Plantarius females can measure up to 2.5 centimeters. Spider-hunters skillfully dive and quickly move through the water. They feed on insects, as well as fish fry and tadpoles. In humans, the bite of this spider causes a feeling of pain lasting up to several weeks, but this spider does not pose a danger to life.

The largest house spiders

Almost all domestic spiders are predators. If they live in a house, it means that there is something to profit from in it, and they like to live in dry and warm rooms.

The largest spider in the world is Theraphosa Blond. This spider is able to prey on toads, mice and even small snakes. The largest spider of this species was found in 1965 in Venezuela and its limb span was 28 centimeters. As for the size of the body, it averages 8-9 cm, and the average span of the spider's limbs is about 25 cm. These giants live in the forests of Suriname, Venezuela and northern Brazil. Theraphosa Blond was first described by the French entomologist Latreille in 1804.

Another large spider is Heteropoda maxima from the Sparassidae family. Compared to the Theraphosa Blond spider, it has a much shorter body length, which is about 4.5 cm, but the limb span can reach more than 25 cm. Heteropoda maxima is a brownish-yellow spider with irregular dark spots on its head. Also, unlike other spiders, it has non-reduced eyes. This species of spider lives in Laos, Khammouan province.

The banana spider is considered the largest web-weaving spider. The size of its body does not exceed 4 cm, but the span of the limbs reaches 12 cm. Small birds sometimes get into the web to this spider. Even fishermen from the coast of the Indian Ocean use their net to catch fish. To do this, they collect many nets, form a large ball out of them and throw them into the water. Banana spiders live in Australia. As for their poison, it is not fatal for people, although it is considered very strong.

This type of spider belongs to the wolf spider family. They live in Central Asia, as well as in the south of Russia and Ukraine. The body of the spider is about 3.5 cm in size and is densely covered with hairs. They live in burrows, which they themselves dig to a depth of 30-40 cm. They usually feed on various beetles that run near their burrow. The signal for a spider attack is the shadow of an insect that runs near the entrance to the hole. The South Russian tarantula very rarely bites people, and if a bite happens, it causes a local swelling and severe pain. If a spider bites you, then the bite should immediately be burned with a match, because their bites are not very deep and the poison is injected under the skin, and during cauterization, thermal decomposition of the poison occurs.

The spider-cross closes the list of the largest spiders in the world. The spider belongs to the family of orb-weaver spiders. In total there are about 1000 species of these spiders, and 30 of them live in the CIS countries. There are especially many of them in the Altai Republic, Smolensk and Rostov regions, as well as in Moldova. They were called crosses because of their belly, on which there are white spots forming a cross. The size of these spiders is about 2.5 cm, males are half the size of females. The prey of the spider are flies and mosquitoes caught in the net, which he can immediately eat or entangle with cobwebs, leaving the food for a more suitable time. As for spider venom, it is completely harmless to humans.

Top 10 biggest spiders in the world

All spiders in our rating are huge, and some of them feed on fairly large birds and rodents. Basically, these are poisonous and dangerous, and sometimes very disgusting and ugly (from a human point of view) arachnids.

10.

The top ten is opened by the nephila-goldworm: the body of females is 4 cm, if you add the length of the limbs to it, you get about 11-13 cm, the size of the males is much smaller, together with the legs - 7-10 mm. The color of representatives of this species is most often greenish-yellow, the abdomen and head are white, and they also differ in toxic poison that can damage human health (not lethal). The habitats of representatives of the nephila-goldworm are the warm regions of the planet (Asia, Australia, South America, etc.).

9.

Arachnid, whose body is "only" 7.5-14.5 cm. However, visually, wall tegenaria looks much larger - thanks to huge, intricately curved 8 legs. The spider has a pale color and is considered the best runner for short distances. Today, this species is quite rare in nature, mainly in Asia, Africa, where it chooses to live, or destroyed buildings.

8.

Look at the photo and remember: avoiding encounters with this spider is vital, as this Brazilian arachnid is one of the most poisonous in the world. The length of its body reaches 5-7 cm, together with the limbs - up to 17 cm. Habitat - Central and South America, one of the subspecies (running) likes to climb into human dwellings.

7.

Cerbal Arabian is the most "new" species of spiders, scientists became aware of its existence only in 2010. The largest individuals known today reach 20 cm in size. Its habitats (detections) - Jordan and Israel, became decisive when choosing a name new kind. One of the factors that affected such a late discovery of the species is the nocturnal lifestyle of its individuals.

6.

Despite its frightening size, it does not pose a particular danger to a person - an attack can only occur as a response in the presence of an active threat. Individuals of this species (also known as red Cameroonian baboon spiders) grow up to 30.5 cm, body length is up to 13 cm. Like most of the largest spiders on our planet, it hunts mainly at night, killing victims (crickets, cockroaches, butterflies , and even small mice).

5.

The main occupation of the representatives of this spider family (related to the tarantula) is eloquently displayed in the title. The predominant habitat is the tropical Colombian forests, where a large number of subspecies of the tarantula are found. The officially registered maximum parameters of representatives of this class are 34.5 cm (including limbs), however, average individuals are up to 26 cm in size. Note that purple tarantulas do not pose a danger to humans.

4.

Forced to disappoint adherents: camel spiders got their name not at all because of eating camels, but due to the presence of several humps on their heads, which gives them some resemblance to "ships of the desert". However, camel spiders feed on mammals: lizards, rodents, as well as small birds. Successful hunting is facilitated by the ability to reach speeds of up to 16 km / h. The size of representatives of this species is up to 30 cm, given the length of the limbs.

3.

Interestingly, this type of spider is one of the few whose representatives are used by people as pets. The size of such spiders can exceed 30 cm, in their natural habitat the main food is birds, lizards, small snakes - thanks to the lightning-fast movements of spiders, the chances of prey for survival are minimal.

2.

Spiders, whose dimensions exceed 30 cm, got their nickname due to their terrifying appearance and exceptional ability to kill the chosen victim. A person is attacked solely in self-defense, but it is still better to bypass them.

1. Goliath birdeater (Birdeater)

The habitat of these representatives of the tarantula family is South America. Goliath tarantula is distinguished by the presence of large (up to 2.5 cm) fangs, with sizes over 30 cm (including limbs), and weight up to 200 grams. It is precisely because of its size and greater weight than that of the Hunter Spider that the Goliath tarantula is considered the most big spider on our planet. Goliath tarantulas live in burrows, the main food of these arachnids are birds, mice and snakes. They do not pose a danger to people - the paralytic poison that the glands of these spiders produce is very weak.

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18.09.2013

Have you ever wondered what the world's largest spider looks like? Let's face it, most people have a fear (either irrational or overwhelming) of spiders.

Whether you're an actual arachnophobe, just don't like 8-legged creatures, or perhaps, on the other hand, you're just fascinated by them, the sight of the world's largest spider is bound to grab your attention. Undoubtedly, most of us are frightened by the sight of even the smallest spider, imagine what happens when you meet with world's largest spider! The largest spiders in the world appear before us in all forms, so let's take a look at 10 of these spiders and see what we are really dealing with. It's always best to start with the least scary of the hair-raising situations, so let's start with the 10th largest spider and work our way up to the largest in the world.

No. 10. Wall tegenaria

Approximately 5.5 inches in size, this spider is quite rare these days. A native of Europe, it is found in North Africa, Central Asia, Uruguay and Argentina. In England, this creepy, brown spider is called the "cardinal spider" because Cardinal Woolsey was rumored to be terribly afraid of this variety of spiders. Interesting fact The thing about these spiders is that their legs are about three times as long as their 3-inch body, making them even creepier than they are.

No. 9. Nephila-gold-spinner

This spider is often compared to Nephil Jurassic, largest known extinct spider who lived about 165 million years ago! Female nephila goldworms, known for their ability to silkworm, reach 6 inches including legs. Their coloration varies from reddish to greenish yellow, and their head and abdomen are distinctly white. Living in some of the warmest regions in the world, these spiders are found in Australia, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. Named for the golden web they spin, these spiders love to live in shops and homes and are excellent natural pest control specialists.

No. 8. Cerbal Arabian

One of the newest types of spiders, these "little" guys can reach up to 7.8 inches if we include their legs as well. Discovered in 2010, this spider is found in Israel and Jordan and lives in sand dunes and on the edge of salt marshes. These spiders are nocturnal and typically active during the hottest days. summer months lifestyle, but for the most part its habitat and behavior is an unexplored mystery. The body of this large spider is silvery gray, and the legs shimmer in black and silver, definitely its distinguishing feature, without which it is impossible to imagine this spider!

#7 Brazilian Wandering Spider

With almost 6" legs and 2" body length, these spiders are starting to scare us with their size. Add to that the fact that they are one of the most poisonous species in the world, and we have a deadly combination. They live in the tropics of South and Central America, they are called "wanderers", because of their habit of wandering through the jungle in search of prey. While some members of this species are more dangerous than others, they are all highly venomous and should be avoided at all costs.

#6 Hysterocrates - Giant Baboon Spider

A member of the tarantula family, this big spider can reach up to 12 inches, including 8 inches make up the legs. They are often kept as pets, as these spiders do not pose a threat to human life, despite the fact that they look intimidating. Found in subtropical and tropical areas, these spiders are nocturnal hunters and often prey on mammals, birds, reptiles, wasps and amphibians.

No. 5. Purple tarantula

Known for eating birds, this spider's body is just over 9 inches long, but that's not the limit. A native of Colombia, this spider lives in very humid tropical forests. The picture of a spider eating a bird is frightening in itself, but it should be noted that this spider is not a threat to humans.

No. 4. Camel spider

Camel spiders are also called sun spiders or sun scorpions and belong to the Arachnidae class, which has over 1,000 species. They got their name from their humped head, not from being closely related to camels! Their diet includes insects, lizards, rodents and small birds, some individuals can reach 12 inches in length including legs.

No. 3. Goliath tarantula

A member of the tarantula family, this spider is one of the world's largest spiders reaching 12 inches in leg span. Native to the rainforests of South America, these spiders can weigh up to 6 ounces; The lifespan of the female is 15 to 25 years, while the male usually lives only 3 to 6 years. Despite the fact that they have fangs that can bite through human skin, their venom is fairly harmless, and besides, spiders only attack when they feel threatened.

No. 2. Brazilian salmon-pink tarantula

Discovered in Brazil in 1917, these tarantulas are often kept as pets and are among the largest tarantulas in the world. reaching up to 12 inches in length, these spiders are known to prey on small snakes. Although these spiders are gaining popularity as pets, due to their speed and erratic behavior, they are not the best choice for beginners.

No. 1. Spider-Hunter

biggest spider photo

The biggest spider in the world- a hunter spider, also known as a giant crab spider. They can reach up to 12 inches in leg span and are perhaps the most unique looking spiders. Their legs are curved like a crab (hence the nickname) and they are incredibly agile when hunting. They generally don't pose a threat to human life, but their ugly, oversized appearance is enough to make even the most affable spider lover shudder.

Today, about forty-two thousand varieties of spiders live in the world. The length of the smallest one known to science- Patu marplesi - is less than 0.4 millimeters, that is, see it naked eye impossible. On average, the size of these animals usually varies from four to six centimeters. However, in nature there are also giant spiders, each species of which is interesting in its own way.

Theraphosa Blonda - the largest spider on Earth

Most arachnologists involved in the study of spiders and arachnids agree that the largest body size of all now existing species These animals have the Goliath tarantula, also known as Theraphosa Blonda. The color of the body of this spider is usually reddish-brown, there are numerous reddish hairs on the legs.

The most giant spider in the world lives in wet swamps and tropical forests in a number of South American countries: Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, Brazil. The length of its body is 7-9 centimeters, and the span of the legs of the largest discovered specimen reached 28 centimeters.

This spider is called the tarantula by mistake. The basis of his diet is actually made up of mice, small snakes, lizards, butterflies and beetles. He lies in wait for his prey, then suddenly jumps on it, using his fangs.

The poison of this spider, which paralyzes small animals, is actually of little danger to humans, like the sting of an ordinary bee. As a rule, he does not attack people, except when he himself is forced to defend himself from them.

In its natural environment, the goliath tarantula lives in burrows that previously belonged to small rodents. In captivity, it is rare, since its export from the territory of its habitats is usually prohibited.

Heteropod Maxima - the longest of the spiders

The goliath tarantula can rightfully be called the largest spider in the world, based on the size of its body and weight. However, he will compete with a giant hunter spider, or Heteropod Maxima - the owner of the largest length in the span of the legs. This indicator in an adult male of this species can be 25-30 centimeters!

These spiders live mainly on the territory of Laos, preferring deep and dark caves, from where they rarely get out to the surface of the earth. Their bodies, relatively small in size (up to 3 centimeters in males and 4.5 in females), are colored brown-yellow, the abdomen is somewhat darker than the cephalothorax.

To date, science knows very little about them, but they continue to be studied.

Australian record holder - giant crab spider

The honor to be called the largest arachnid of the Australian continent belongs to the giant crab spider. Its name is associated with a specific bending of the legs, characteristic of crabs (in some specimens, their span sometimes reaches 30 centimeters). In another way, these spiders are called hunters, or huntsmen.

As a rule, the color of these creatures is black, brown or gray. The body is fluffy, spikes are clearly visible on the legs. They live under the roots and on the trunks of trees, as well as in mountain crevices, between stones, on the walls of houses. They feed mainly on insects, small lizards and frogs. These giant spiders are capable of chasing their prey across the ground at great speed before sinking their fangs into it and immobilizing it with venom.

Their toxin is moderately dangerous to humans. As a rule, painful swelling occurs at the site of the bite, sometimes accompanied by nausea and headache, but the poison does not pose a threat to human life.

Nefila - the largest spiders in the world, weaving a web

Translated from Latin, the word Nefila means "one who loves to weave." This is the name given to the most ancient species of spider known today. The size of their body is not amazing - it does not exceed 4 centimeters. But in the span of the legs, the largest individuals reach 15 centimeters, which makes Nefil the largest of the spiders capable of weaving a web.

The range of distribution of various types of these spiders is huge. They are found in Australia, South America, Asia and Africa.

The nets that these skilled craftsmen "weave" have truly incredible properties. Exceptionally strong and sticky lace with a characteristic golden sheen can cover areas up to two meters. Their fortress is so great that they are able to capture and hold even a bat, a small snake or a bird.

The rather strong poison of Nefil spiders is dangerous for people, especially those who are prone to allergies, but it does not lead to death. Characteristic symptoms- redness of the skin, blisters and pain - usually disappear within a day from the moment of the bite.

The Brazilian wanderer is one of the most venomous spiders.

Characteristic features of the Brazilian wandering spider are aggressive behavior and exceptionally toxic venom. Its bite can cause severe poisoning and paralysis, and in the absence of the necessary help, it will lead to the death of a person. That is why Brazilian wanderers have gained notoriety as giant killer spiders. However, with the timely provision of the necessary assistance, serious consequences can still be avoided.

These giant spiders (see photo below) sometimes reach 10 centimeters in length. Their body is elongated, brown, completely covered with small hairs.

Brazilian wanderers do not weave webs and do not have a permanent habitat - they are always in search of their prey. They are found in the tropics and subtropics of South America. They are also called "armed" (because of the strong poison and powerful mouth appendages) or " banana spiders"(because very often they can be stumbled between the leaves of banana palms). They hunt at night, mainly for insects. However, they can also cope with some reptiles and birds that are larger than them.

Cerbal Arabian - a newly discovered giant spider

These giant spiders have become known to scientists relatively recently. Some sources indicate that they were discovered in 2004, others that this happened in 2010. The countries on whose territory cerbals were found were Jordan and Israel, which determined the peculiarity of the name of this species - "Arabian".

The appearance of spiders of this species is very interesting: their body is painted in a beautiful yellowish or silver color, and their long legs shimmer in the light with silver and black shades. In length, the largest specimens of the Arabian Cerbal sometimes reach 8 inches.

Currently, this species of spiders is poorly studied. Cerbals are known to prefer salt marshes and sand dunes for life. They are characterized by a nocturnal lifestyle, and activity is associated mainly with the hot season.

Wall tegenaria - record holder for sprinting

In a different way, wall tegenaria is called a giant house spider. The length of her body is about seven centimeters, and the span of her legs is about three times greater than this value. Not surprisingly, tegenarii among arachnids are considered exceptionally fast short-distance runners.

The distribution area of \u200b\u200bthis species of spiders is Asia, northern Africa. They are also found somewhere in Europe (for example, in England, tegenaria is often called the "cardinal spider" allegedly due to the fact that the once British cardinal Wolsey was horrified by it).

An interesting fact is that these giant spiders, although they produce webs, are completely incapable of deftly swaddling prey into a cocoon. Instead, they just release it in a very thick and even layer. It is curious that in the competition for prey, tegenaria enters into a fight with its fellows, often even killing them. Cannibalism is also common among these spiders.

Tegenaria's favorite habitats are caves and walls of abandoned houses. Today, there are very few of these spiders in nature.

South Russian tarantula - the largest spider in Russia

Mizgir, or South Russian tarantula, is a characteristic representative of the wolf spider family. The body size of the female of this spider reaches three centimeters (the body of the male is slightly shorter). The span of his paws, however, is considerable - 10-11 centimeters. It is distributed not only in Russia, but also in Central Asia.

The mizgir is characterized by shallow burrows in the sand or in the ground, which this spider breaks through itself and lines from the inside with cobwebs. In them, he spends daylight hours, but at night he can get out to hunt on the surface. Excellently sensing vibrations, the mizgir feels when a small insect approaches its shelter. Having allowed prey to a close distance, the spider instantly rushes at it and kills it. In winter, he deepens the mink, and fills up the entrance to it with earth.

This tarantula practically does not bite people. In the event that a bite occurs, the pain and consequences of it are comparable to a hornet bite.

The Japanese spider crab is the largest arthropod on the planet.

In fact, nothing connects sea spiders with arachnids. This is a special class of arthropods, numbering more than a thousand species. And the largest of them is considered to be a giant sea spider that lives off the coast. Pacific Ocean near Japan, at various depths. The body size of the largest representatives of this species exceeds 30 centimeters, while their claw span is truly huge - it can reach 270 centimeters in length! The body weight of this arthropod can be twenty kilograms.

The spider crab feeds mainly on mollusks, as well as the remains of dead animals. There is an assumption that he is able to live for about a hundred years.