If you are suffering from spider phobia, this is the time when you are most likely to encounter one of your worst nightmares: tarantulas.
According to the Los Padres National Forest, most tarantulas of the 29 species of tarantulas in the United States are mating season. Around this time, tarantulus tend to leave their dens to hunt their mates – and they will travel up to 20 miles with eight ambiguous feet to create a love connection.
In Southern California, the two most common species are Mohab Blonde Tarantula Aphonopermayose in the Mojave Desert region and California’s Ebony Tarantula Aphonopermaeuchenum, which lives in the south and eastern regions of San Diego and Imperial County.
During mating season, which starts in August and may continue into December, male tarantulus leaves the den in search of companions.
“This highly visible behavior is in contrast to the otherwise inexplicable lifestyle of burrowing creatures,” McCamish said.
Outside of mating season, tarantulas appear on hunting at night.
“Talantulus mating season is not uniform across the nation,” McCumish said. “Instead, it relies heavily on the local climate, elevation and species-specific biology.”
You’ll find tarantulas looking for love
During mating season, tarantula sightings are common at dusk and at night, especially after warm days, before seasonal rain, McCumish said.
Doug Yanega, a senior scientist at the UC Riverside’s Entomology Research Museum, says they can be found moving around not only in chaparrals and shrubs, but also in deserts and mountainous regions.
One indicator of the likelihood of tarantula sightings is the bustling tarantula Hawk hornets. According to the National Parks Service, this WASP hunts spiders to feed its offspring.
The big blue black hornet with bright orange wings is “a much better way to find a spider that actually keeps a group of spiders a secret,” Yanega said.
McCamish is some of the most famous places to observe the California Ebony Tarantula:
Northeastern Desert Area: Joshua Tree National Park, which includes BlackRock Canyon and Cottonwood Spring Area, near the south entrance of Joshua Tree. There are also eight-legged creatures along the road (at night) at Mojave Trails National Monument, also known as the “centre of Mojave.” Central Coast Region: Oak Forest Area in Kern County near Heart Park, Los Padres National Forest north of Santa Barbara, Los Angeles in Ventura near Casitaspass: Griffith Park, Ragnion Canyon Park, Malibu Creek State Park, the backbone trail of the Santa Monica Mountains, Leo Carillo Park including Kuyama Carancho State Park and the Stonewall Mine in the Topan Gangan Canyon Mountain Laguna Mountains region. It is located in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park in the Colorado Desert of Southern California, particularly in the Borrego Palm Canyon and Yakiwell areas.
Experts say male spiders travel up to 20 miles throughout the mating season to find connections, but distance depends on weather, food availability and other environmental conditions.
This is a lonely, competitive journey, but you may cross a pack of tarantulas that just happened to appear.
“Anexually, people can experience this “horde” or “flock” in the desert, where they can see them slowly crossing a distant desert path for mating, if the conditions are correct, if the mating season is correct, McCamish said.
Male tarantula wandering women in Mount Diablo State Park.
(Susanne Rust/Los Angeles Times)
Tarantulous Coat and Egg Hatching Timeline
When a man finds a female tarantula, he “initiates a courtship ritual that includes rhythmic tapping and vibrations, informing him of his presence and avoiding predation,” McCamish said.
Mating occurs when a woman is receptive.
“Men don’t live that long and women often actively reject potential peers, so small or weak men may never breed,” Yanega added.
Experts say that on average, men live in the country for 7 to 10 years, while women can reach 20 to 25 years or more.
After mating, the woman may eat her counterpart. So some men try to escape.
The woman then stores the sperm in a structure called sperm, and eventually builds an oocyst where the eggs remain until the eggs become hatched the following spring or summer. Baby tarantulas are known as “spider rings.”
“The spider rings probably stroll around a bit, then disperse their own burrows and probably won’t travel too far,” the crew said.
Can tarantulas kill me or get hurt?
Tarantulas are harmless unless you hold them in place.
Researchers say their body is covered in “stimulating hair.” Touching can cause dermatitis and rashes. When a spider needs to protect itself from predators, it rubs its hair to prevent danger.
“This is why we sometimes see tarantulas in ‘bald spots’,” the crew said. “They do it when they’re emphasized. So if you come across it and start doing it, it’s best to leave it alone…it won’t hurt humans, but you don’t want to emphasize a poor man – he has enough problems at this point.”
Tarantulas are often slandered in films, but in reality they are shy, moving slowly and reluctant to bite.
Native American tarantulas pose no serious threat to humans and only bite them if they are provoked badly, McCamish said.
Poison from tarantula bites does not usually kill humans, but can cause minor pain, swelling, or itching.
Source link
