What is the largest spider ever recorded?

According to Guinness World Records, the largest spider ever recorded was a Goliath bird-eating spider that had an 11-inch leg span. Members of an expedition collected it in Rio Cavro, Venezuela, in 1965.

Another Goliath bird-eating spider, reared as a pet in Great Britain, also had an 11-inch leg span and weighed 6 ounces, as of 1998. An even heavier spider weighed 6.1 ounces.

Despite its name, this spider does not mainly eat birds. Its usual diet is insects, but it also eats frogs, small mammals and reptiles. Like most spiders, it kills its prey via venom delivered through its fangs, which can be 0.8 inches long. It reaches maturity after about three years, and females can live to be 20 years old.