The largest spiders are actually tarantulas, but tarantulas come in several species. The largest kind of tarantula is the South American Goliath Bird-Eating Spider.
The tree-dwelling Goliath is so large, that it dines not only on insects, but also small animals. The Goliath has been known to consume small birds, bats, lizards, snakes and frogs. They live in the rain forests, and the record-setter was measured at eleven inches long, almost a foot!