October is Tarantula Mating Season ~ If You See One, It’s a Male Trick or Treating for a Mate

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEWSLETTER. From Midpeninsula Open Space District (MROSD).

a tarantula entering a hole

 

Fall is here and the days are getting shorter, but there is no shortage of things happening in our preserves! Read on to discover what’s new. Learn about ongoing projects, find out about upcoming virtual events and get public meeting updates.

 

Nature in October: Tarantula Time

This is the time of year when mature male tarantulas who have reached about seven years old begin emerging from their burrows in search of a mate, primarily between dusk and dawn. At great risk to themselves from predators and other dangers, the males traverse the landscape using touch and scent to locate females’ burrows.

When they find one, they perform a unique mating ritual involving percussive tapping and high frequency vibrations. While the mature males die shortly after the mating season ends in mid-fall, the females can live for up to 30 years.

You may encounter tarantulas while enjoying the abundant public open space in the Santa Cruz Mountains. If you do, give them plenty of space – and respect – as they continue on their perilous fall journey.


 

Great Video.

Summer of Love: Tarantula mating season begins in Northern California

If you are viewing on the ABC10 app, tap here for multimedia.

Coastside Buzz
Author: Coastside Buzz

Me