With summer, many people are heading outdoors to enjoy the sunshine, but also tarantulas. In several parts of the United States, thousands of male tarantulas are beginning to leave their underground homes for one very specific reason: to find a mate. If you are curious about this, you will be happy to know this event happens every year. So, it’s very common to see tarantulas in large groups moving around open spaces, roads, or trails during this time.
We are used to seeing other types of insects in plagues and I know it might sound scary, but experts recommend us to observe this fascinating and harmless event if we have the chance because we could learn how these creatures live and interact in the wild. So, let’s find out more about these tarantulas.
Where does this take place?
This event of tarantulas can be mostly seen in the Western and Southwestern regions of the U.S., especially in states like: California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas.
These areas offer the dry, arid, or semi-arid environments that tarantulas prefer. The driest and hottest summer months are when they’re most active, since the warm ground and dry conditions suit their natural habits.
What exactly do they do?
During this season, male tarantulas are the ones that you’ll see moving around since they leave their burrows and begin wandering looking for females. Sometimes, this leads to sightings of dozens — even hundreds — of tarantulas walking across the land at once. In contrast, females tend to stay near or inside their burrows, waiting for males to arrive.
Dan McCamish, a senior environmental scientist with California State Parks, notes that in some places, “you can see them in hordes crossing the roads at certain times of the year.”
Are these tarantulas dangerous?
The short answer is no, not really. According to McCamish, tarantulas are generally docile and shy. They are wild animals and don’t want to be handled or touched, so if someone tries to pick one up, it might bite — but even then, its bite is not dangerous for most people. It’s true it may hurt, like a bee sting, but it’s not venomous in a harmful way unless someone has a rare allergy.
Most of the time, these spiders are just trying to stay out of trouble. “They’re gentle, ecologically valuable animals,” says McCamish. They help control insect populations and play a useful role in the ecosystem.
When and how they can be seen
Summer is their peak of feeling active, but you won’t probably see them during the day because they avoid the heat of the sun and are mostly nocturnal.
So, unless you’re out hiking in the middle of the night (which McCamish doesn’t recommend for safety reasons), you probably won’t run into them. But in some places, especially near roads or open fields, you might catch a glimpse of them early in the morning or around sunset, when it’s cooler.
A natural event to respect
The idea of seeing large spiders roaming around is not very attractive for many people, but this natural season event is an important part of the tarantulas’ life cycle. So, if you have the opportunity to see them, you could learn how they reproduce and continue their species. Don’t worry about their scary reputation, tarantulas won’t hurt you unless you invade their space. Their main goal is to find a mate and stay safe, they won’t care about your presence.
So, if you happen to see one on the trail or near your campsite, try not to panic. Take a step back, observe, and appreciate the moment — it’s not every day you get to witness one of nature’s more unusual summer events. Have you ever encountered a tarantula?