rather, they drag it back to their burrow and begin the digesting process. They do this by liquifying the insides of their prey and proceed to suck it dry. In the wild, T. blondi has been observed feeding on rodents, frogs, toads, lizards, and even snakes. Distribution and habitat The Goliath birdeater is native to the upland rain forest regions of Northern South America: Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, northern Brazil, and southern Venezuela. Most noticeable in the Amazon rainforest, the spider is terrestrial, living in deep burrows, and is found commonly in marshy or swampy areas. It is a nocturnal species. Culinary use The Goliath birdeater is an edible spider. The spider is part of the local cuisine in northeastern South America, prepared by singeing off the urticating hairs and roasting it in banana leaves. The flavor has been described as "shrimp-like". See also Giant huntsman spider, largest known spider in the world by leg span Mongolarachne jurassica, the largest known fossilised spider Cerbalus aravaensis, a huntsman spider found in Israel and Jordan References External links Biggest Spiders in The World Video of the Goliath birdeater at National Geographic Video of the Goliath birdeater being hunted by children Theraphosidae Spiders of South America Invertebrates of Brazil Fauna of French Guiana Invertebrates of Guyana Fauna of Suriname Invertebrates of Venezuela Fauna of the Amazon Edible spiders