Tarantula Mating Season Means Fall Is On It's Way
By: Christina Loren
Friday, August 21, 2015
It is late August and tarantula mating season has started in the Bay Area. Male California Tarantulas are
looking for love and instead of waiting for the cloak of nightfall, these nocturnal critters are coming out earlier, in the twilight of dusk. I saw this one on a a hiking trail in the South Bay hills. Tarantula mating season typically takes place late summer into early fall and after 5-8 years of maturing in solitude,
males are on the prowl to reproduce with female mates. These large hairy spiders should be approached with caution although they are not looking to harm humans. They have one thing on their mind and that is reproduction. When I encountered this one it stopped in the middle of the trail and remained completely still until I moved along. Male tarantulas are searching for the females silk-lined burrows. Hopefully this guy was able to find one later in the night. What is interesting is that after male tarantulas find a mate they only live for an
additional 3-6 months whereas females can live for another 25 years. Tarantulas are most commonly seen by humans in the high elevation trails, roads, and even gardens of the Bay Area.
Labels: Christina Loren, christinaloren, Fall, Hills, mating season, South Bay, Summer, Tarantula
posted by Unknown @ 12:33 PM,
