Arthropod

The Goliath birdeater (or Theraphosa blondi) is an extremely large species of tarantula native to the tropical rainforests, swamps and marshes of Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil and Venezuela. It is tan brown in colour, covered in red-brown hair, has a large abdomen with a large, round thorax, thick segmented legs, and elongated pedipalps (mouth parts). The female is larger than the male, and both sexes have pronounced appendages on the end of their abdomen known as ‘spinnerets’ that aid in web deposition.

The Goliath beetle (or Goliathus goliatus) is a large species of insect that lives in the savannah and rainforests of Central Africa. The males and females are different in appearance and size; the males being larger – between 60 and 100mm – with a dark brown abdomen, a brown thorax with white stripes, black legs, as well as a white head with a Y-shaped horn. The females have shorter, thinner stripes on the thorax, are smaller in size – between 50 and 80mm – and do not have a horn.

The giant tiger land snail (or Achatina achatina) is a large species of gastropod that lives in the woodland areas of West Africa; specifically Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria, among others. They have a grey body and a conical shell that’s yellow, orange or tan with black stripes – the distinctive pattern being the inspiration for their name. The species is hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female reproductive parts, so there are no distinct ‘males’ and ‘females’.

A large species of arachnid native to the deserts of the Southern USA and Mexico, the giant desert hairy scorpion (or Hadrurus arizonensis) is a predator specialising in ambush. Typically yellow, tan or pale green and with darker areas of colour on its back, the scorpion spends its time buried beneath the sand or under rocks, attacking insects and small vertebrates with its stinger. This immobilses its prey before the scorpion can then grab it with its jaws.

The giant burrowing cockroach (or Macropanesthia rhinoceros) is a large insect native to the scrublands and dry forests of Northern Australia. They measure approximately 8cm long, weigh 30g, and are dark reddish-brown in colour. They are so named for their habit of digging burrows in the sandy earth, often delving up to 1m into the ground. They are a popular pet because of the ease of care and their positive response to being handled.

The Brazilian wandering spider (or Phoneutria nigriventer) is a species of arachnid native to South America – predominantly in the rainforests, although it does often live in urban areas alongside humans. The spiders are large, venomous and pale brown in colour, with a hairy body and black striations on their legs. Males are slightly smaller than females with a much smaller abdomen, and also have swollen bulbs on the end of their palps, which are the segmented appendages near the mouth and are often used to distinguish the sexes.

The Brazilian salmon pink tarantula (or Lasiodora parahybana) is a large species of spider exclusively endemic to the Atlantic Forest area of East Brazil. They are black in colour, with pink or red hairs on their legs and abdomen. When looked at as a whole, the males are slightly larger than females with a leg span that can reach 28cm, but females are heavier with a larger abdomen. Males also often have brighter coloration than females.

The Amazonian giant centipede (or Scolopendra gigantea) is a large, fearsome and predatory arthropod that is native to the forests of South America and the Caribbean. It is capable of catching, envenoming and killing many animals, and has learned specific techniques for catching particular prey. The centipede can reach 30cm in length and can occur in a variety of colours – typically red, yellow, brown or black – with yellow legs and dark stripes between body segments.