World's biggest spider

Five tarantula snippets 

1. The tarantula's venom, including that of the Goliath, is not usually lethal to humans, although the bite may cause pain, sickness and sweating.
2. Tarantulas eat small snakes, lizards, insects, frogs, and sometimes even bats and rodents. The Goliath has been known to catch young birds. This is very rare but is the behaviour that gave the spider its name. It was a Victorian explorer who saw one eating a hummingbird.
3. Tarantulas don't have teeth for eating their meals. Instead, they inject juices into their victims. These juices break down the soft tissues, allowing the spider to slurp up its victims insides. Yum.
4. The Goliath tarantula can make a noise by rubbing bristles on its legs together. This 'hissing' sound is loud enough to be heard up to 15 feet away!
5. The tarantula's secret weapon is its ability to release hairs from its body at any creature it sees as a threat. The tiny hairs are very irritating to the skin, and can cause problems if they get into the mucous membranes around the mouth and eyes.