The Habitat of a Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula

The goliath bird-eating tarantula (Theraposa blondi), the world's largest arachnid, is found naturally in the wild rain forests of South America. The spider spends most of its time underground in a hollowed-out burrow, and will usually only leave at night to hunt.

  1. Native Regions

    • Goliath bird-eating tarantulas can be found mostly in primary rain forests north of the Amazon basin in the countries of Brazil, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela. Goliaths prefer wet or swampy areas within the forest.

    Goliath Burrows

    • Goliaths are burrowing spiders, living in underground nests anywhere between two and a half and four feet deep, usually at the base of large trees. Goliaths can either dig their own burrows or move into preexisting ones.

    Behavior

    • A female goliath will only leave its burrow to hunt. Male goliaths will travel far from their burrows only during mating season to seek out a female. As nocturnal predators, the tarantulas approach the burrow's mouth to wait to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

    Hunting

    • Because the goliath has poor eyesight, it depends on ground vibrations to sense when prey is drawing near the burrow hole. Insects make up its main diet, but it sometimes kills frogs, lizards, small snakes, rodents and bats.

    Threats

    • The goliath's natural enemies include spider wasps, some snakes and other tarantulas. It is also threatened by destruction of its native environment and by locals who use it to attract tourists or cook it as a delicacy.