In the often misunderstood world of arachnids, the biggest spider in the world stands out among its giant kin. Enormous, eight-legged creatures — ranging from the Goliath birdeater to the Colombian ...

The world's biggest spider can grow to the size of a dinner plate and even feed on birds. It is the theraphosa blondi, more ...

from behemoths like the giant huntsman and goliath birdeater, down to the tiniest, the dwarf orb weaver and Patu digua. In this extract from "The Lives of Spiders: A Natural History of the World's ...