Ahhhh yes, it’s that time again, if you are a male tarantula! Every year as we approach the cooler temperature of fall, millions of male tarantulas will begin their “migration” to find a female to mate with. Some may think it is all an elaborate arachnid romance, but the reality is that for most of the males, it will be their last hurrah.
The Life of a Tarantula
Tarantulas are found all over the world with about 50 species in the American Southwest . The species commonly found in our area is the Desert Tarantulas, Aphonopelma iodius. The male grows to about 3 to 5 inches with the female being a bit larger. They live in burrows typically at lower elevations. They spin a dense web at the entrance and it is an easy way to identify them. Tarantulas feed on insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, and even small lizards. The hairs on their body detect the vibrations through the ground from their prey moving near them. Then, they then pounce without warning, injecting them with their venom. And, though they may walk slowly, they are incredibly quick at capturing their prey.
Tarantulas are not the scary demon-spawns movies and old tales like to portray them. They tend to be shy and passive, but will defend themselves if threatened. The bite from a tarantula is painful, similar to a bee sting. It is usually non-fatal unless there are underlying conditions. They can also scrape some of their barbed body hairs and throw it at their attacker to cause serious irritations on the skin and eyes.
Seeking Love
The male tarantula matures around the age of three, hears the Call of the Wild, and leaves his burrow to seek a female to mate. He travels several miles from early evening to early morning. Females remain in their burrows awaiting their handsome suiter. If he enters her burrow and she doesn’t like him, she will promptly kill him and eat him. If a favorable male suitor is accepted, they will mate. Afterwards, the female will eat him too. In the greater scheme for the survival of the species, a male tarantula does have quite a bit of nutrients the female can use to survive and produce 500-1,000 young.
Sometimes life seems so unfair. The male tarantulas usually do not survive their Match.com marathon event. During their journey, they are eaten by predators like coyotes, snakes, and birds. They are run over by cars as they scurry across roads. If the male miraculously survives his love connection, he will likely die from exhaustion and exposure. Females, on the other hand, live around 20 years.
So if you are out at Gold Butte or on some back roads, please drive slowly and give the boys a break. You can take pictures but please do not handle them.
