Various Tarantulas or Bird-eating Spiders

Tarantula is a name relating to Taranto in Italy and first applied to a biting Wolf Spider species. Some authorities say this name, commonly applied to extra large, mainly Latin American, hairy spiders is a misnomer and that they should be called Bird-eating Spiders; however, they do not generally eat birds (although most would if they had the chance), so that would seem a misnomer also.
Tarantulas typically have a leg span of some 6-12 inches (15-30cm). They are solitary. Females live for some 15-25 years and males for 3-10. Females have 200-700 babies in one egg sac. Their main diet is large insects such as crickets and cockroaches and also other spiders; they also take small reptiles and small mammals. They are fast ambush predators and immobilise prey with venom. Their first line of defense to (suspected) attack is to flee. Their second line of defense is to kick a flurry of hairs off their body towards their attackers eyes; these barbed hairs can blind or can irritate skin. Their last line of defense would be to bite and their venom is not strong enough to poison humans but can cause an allergic reaction or the bite area can become infected.
Goliath Bird-eating Tarantula The Goliath Tarantula, Theraphosa blondi, native to rainforest of northeastern South America, is the world's largest tarantula, with a head/body length of 13cm and a leg span of 30cm (12 inches). It is the world's second largest spider in terms of legspan (after the Giant Huntsman) but the largest in terms of head/body size. It can be black, dark or light brown. It is mainly nocturnal. Diet includes frogs, toads, lizards, mice and snakes.
Pink-toed Bird-eating Tarantula The Pink-toed Tarantula, Avicularia avicularia, is native to rainforests of Costa Rica through to northeastern Brazil and to the southern Caribbean. They are black with some pink hairs and the ends of their feet and toes are pink. Juveniles are pink with black toes. Unlike most other terrestrial tarantulas, the Pink-toe jumps and is arboreal. Females reach a leg span of 13cm.
Desert Blonde Bird-eating Tarantula The Desert Blonde Tarantula, Aphonopelma chalcodes, also called the Arizona or Mexican Blonde or the Western Desert Tarantula is native to Arizona and Mexican border desert areas. The female has a darkish brown body but a blonde head (carapace) and sometimes blonde leg segments. She has a 5 inch (13cm) leg span. The male has a 3 inch (8cm) leg span and is reddish brown with dark legs. Some other desert species of tarantula look similar.
Cobalt Blue Bird-eating Tarantula The Cobalt Blue Tarantula, Cyriopagopus lividus, previously Haplopelma lividum, is not native to Latin America but to rainforest of Myanmar and Thailand; possibly also to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It has a leg span of up to 5 inches (13cm). The female is blue but the adult male becomes light brown. They spend most time in their deep burrows. The venom in their bites can cause severe muscle cramp to humans.