Record #00425Nature archive
The Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) is the heaviest known spider species, with some specimens reaching approximately 175 grams; the metric is body mass, not leg span.
Current Record
about175g
Current record value
The Goliath birdeater inhabits northern South American tropical rainforests and is notable for its robust body, especially in adult females. It mainly hunts invertebrates and occasionally smaller vertebrates; birds are not its usual prey.
Guinness records that individuals of this species can weigh up to 175 g. The cited April 1965 Venezuelan specimen documents a 28-cm leg span rather than the 175-g mass. Another captive spider named Rosi weighed 170 g in 1998. Leg-span measurements and weight maxima must not be conflated.
The record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
The Guinness Largest spider listing identifies Theraphosa blondi as the largest by mass, up to 175 g. Its 1965 Rio Cavro specimen is associated with a 28-cm leg span, while captive Rosi weighed about 170 g in 1998; neither is established as the particular 175-g specimen. Date and place for the 175-g mass are not verified.
175 g is a sourced species-level maximum without a uniquely verified weighing date, instrument or specimen location. The 1965 leg-span date and Guiana habitat are not evidence of the 175-g weighing event.
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
The record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
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