Hairy Scorpion

Hadrurus arizonensis

Meet the largest Scorpion in North America-- the Hairy Scorpion. These arachnids can grow over 5in long, and their large size makes them quite the predator within their desert habitat. They feed on smaller invertebrates (including other Scorpions) and will even hunt snakes, lizards, and small vertebrates as well.

Hairy Scorpions are named for the dark brown hairs that cover the backs of their otherwise yellow-ish bodies. Their coloration helps them to blend in with the dry environment that they live in. You'll find these Scorpions in the Mojave and Sonora Deserts.

The large pincers on these arachnids are used for more than just grasping at food. These guys are excellent burrowers, and can dig tunnels that are more than 2m in length. They hang out in them during the daytime, emerging at night to hunt.

Even though they are large in size, the Hairy Scorpions shouldn't frighten you. Their sting is venomous, but tends to be no worse than a beesting for the average person.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North America
Size : Length around 5.5in (14cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Arachnida -- Order : Scorpiones
Family : Caraboctonidae -- Genus : Hadrurus -- Species : H. arizonensis
Image :  Fritz Geller Grimm

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Goliath Birdeater

Theraphosa blondi

If spiders make you squeamish, you might not want to read much further (though I hope you do!). This spider is... well... really, really big. Like, the size of your hand big.

Goliath Birdeaters have legspans that can reach nearly a foot across, so the Goliath name is well earned. However, despite the name and gigantic size they normally consume insects, and birds are only consumed on rare occasions!

You can find these monster Spiders living in the northern rainforests of South America. They live on the ground, and build burrows for themselves that can go deep into the ground. It will take them several years to reach full maturity, and males have MUCH shorter lifespans than females (who can live up to 25 years!) Part of that probably has to do with the fact that females are known to kill their mates after breeding-- yikes!

Happily, though the Goliath Birdeaters are venomous, their venom is not particularly dangerous to humans. Also, even if they do bite you (normally in self defense) they probably won't even inject any venom.

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IUCN Status : Not Evaluated
Location : South America
Size : Leg span up to 11in (28cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Arachnida -- Order : Araneae
Family : Theraphosidae -- Genus : Theraphosa -- Species : T. blondi
Image : R. Somma

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