What is the largest spider by mass and size in the world?

The Goliath birdeater belongs to the tarantula family "Theraphosidae". Found in northern South America, it is the largest spider in the world by mass and size, but it is second to the giant huntsman spider by leg span. It is also called the Goliath bird-eating spider; the practice of calling theraphosids "bird-eating" derives from an early 18th-century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows one eating a hummingbird.

Unlike other species of spider/tarantula, females do not eat the males during mating. Females mature in 3-6 years and have an average lifespan of 15 to 25 years. Males die soon after maturity and have a lifespan of 3-6 years. Colors range from dark to light brown with faint markings on the legs. Birdeaters have hair on their bodies, abdomens, and legs. The female lays 100 to 200 eggs, which hatch into spiderlings within 6-8 weeks.

Despite the spider's name, it only rarely preys on birds. However, it's probably more afraid of you than you are of it, since humans who live in its habitat catch it and cook it by roasting it in banana leaves (tastes like shrimp).