Some might assume that a fellow who goes out of his way to capture and examine a wild snake would also be enthralled with spiders. Not necessarily so; seeing big hairy spiders like this brings my neck hairs to attention.

I’m grateful we don’t have to worry about running into the likes of bird-eating spiders while hiking here in Tennessee. Yes, these spiders are so large they eat birds – and these tarantulas are hunted and eaten by the locals as well, for as the BBC video states, picky eaters don’t last very long in the jungle.

NOTE: Spiders are not insects; nevertheless, references to the largest bugs in the world are also referenced here.

Resources & more

• BBC video of a Goliath Tarantula (the video above)
• The Largest Bugs in the World