Grab your raincoats and jungle gear, explorers! Today, Aimee is taking us deep into the warm, wet Amazon Rainforest of South America to meet a tarantula that is completely unlike any other spider on Earth.

In this episode, we’re bravely tiptoeing to find the giant Goliath Birdeater. You’ll learn:

• The Dinner Plate Spider: Discover just how massive this tarantula gets—weighing as much as a small puppy and stretching its fuzzy legs out as wide as a large dinner plate!
• The Not-So-Birdy Eater: Learn why it is called a "Birdeater" even though it almost never actually eats birds, and find out what its real favorite snacks are (like giant earthworms, frogs, and insects!).
• Ground-Dwelling Hunters: Find out why these huge spiders don't spin big sticky webs in the trees, but instead live in underground burrows and use super-sensitive hairs on their legs to feel the vibrations of a yummy bug walking by.
• The Itchy Defense: Hear how they protect themselves using Urticating Hairs—special, prickly bristles on their tummies that they kick into the air when they feel scared or threatened by a predator.
• The Hissing Warning: Learn about Stridulation—the super cool and slightly spooky hissing sound they make by rubbing their hairy legs together to say, "Back off, I need some space!"

Get ready to trek through the rainforest and listen for the hissing warnings of this giant, fuzzy, and amazing tarantula!

Thank you for listening!

Goliath Birdeater's live in the rainforest, which is being threatened by deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Please consider supporting the conservation of the Amazon Rainforest to keep their habitat thriving.

Don't forget to rate and follow Animals with Aimee for notifications about our new episodes!

Join Aimee's Animal Lovers Club for activity sheets, birthday shout-outs, and more!