Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

‘Tis the season for tarantulas to look for mates, and this little fellow (they’re the ones who do the looking) was crossing Disappointment Road recently on just such a mission.

I stopped for a hopeful introduction (not like THAT!), but he was singleminded in his search, and clearly, my giant blue and yellow-leather glove did not at all look like what he was looking for. 🙂

According to the Google machine:

Every fall, thousands of male Oklahoma brown tarantulas wander across southeastern Colorado to search for mates.

What is Happening

• Not a Migration: People call it a migration, but it is actually a mating trek.
• Only Males Walk: Mature male tarantulas (ages 8 to 10) leave their underground burrows for the first and only time in their lives to find females.
• Staying Put: Female tarantulas stay safely inside their permanent burrows and rarely come out.

When and Where to Watch

• Timing: Peak activity happens from mid-September through October.
• Best Hour: The hour just before sunset is the best time to spot them as temperatures drop.
• Location: Look around the Comanche National Grassland near La Junta, especially along Highways 109, 10, and 350.

Safety and Facts

• Harmless to Humans: Their venom is weak and feels like a simple bee sting. They only bite if physically grabbed.
• Main Hazard: The biggest danger to the spiders is vehicle traffic on rural roads.

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I’m glad I didn’t call it a migration! They’re on a *mating trek*. 🙂

I even searched for “Southwest Colorado” tarantulas and got almost the same info as above with this addition: “often called Colorado browns.” And this disclaimer (?): “Tarantula mating season happens every fall in southeastern Colorado (near La Junta and the Comanche National Grassland), rather than in the southwest part of the state.” Um. With all due respect, monsieur Google, they ARE doing the same thing over here, and they do it every year.

It’s a *thing*, and I look forward to seeing the little guys. And while I watch carefully for them on the gravel and paved roads, it’s not always easy to avoid the poor critters. Wherever they are, watch for them and wish them well and lucky in love!

Actually, curious about how long that “luck” extends after mating, I put my musings to Google (aware that it’s already let me down by (as so many do) ignoring Southwest Colorado):

No, female tarantulas do not automatically kill the males after mating, though it absolutely can happen. The idea that a female always eats her mate is a common myth that is often exaggerated.

Whether a male survives depends on a mix of survival mechanics, biology, and timing:

The Mechanics of Survival

During mating, male tarantulas are fully aware of the danger. They have evolved physical adaptations specifically designed to keep them alive:

• Tibial hooks: When a male approaches a female, he uses specialized hooks on his front legs to catch and pin back the female’s fangs.
• The quick getaway: This hook system locks the female in place just long enough for the male to transfer his sperm. The moment he finishes, he releases her and runs away as fast as possible before she can react.

Why a Female Might Attack

If the male isn’t fast enough, or if the female is highly aggressive, sexual cannibalism does occur:

• Hunger: If the female hasn’t eaten recently, she simply views the male as a highly convenient food source.
• Nutritional boost: Consuming a male provides the female with a massive dose of protein and lipids. Studies show that females who eat a suitor often produce larger, healthier egg sacs.
• Personality: Research has shown that a tarantula’s individual genetics dictate aggressiveness. Some aggressive females fail to distinguish between a mate and prey, attacking the male indiscriminately.

Ultimately, in the wild, many males successfully escape to find another mate. However, even if they escape the female, a male’s lifespan after reaching maturity is exceptionally short – usually less than a year –as they quickly succumb to exhaustion, predators, or the elements.

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I hope that gave you a bit of a chuckle while reading. I particularly appreciated that “the moment he finishes, he releases her and runs away as fast as possible before she can react”! And also, “if the female hasn’t eaten recently, she simply (simply!) views the male as a highly convenient food source”! I mean … the ladies are definitely at the top of the tarantula world, eh?!

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Hurricane Polo finally came through for us here in Southwest Colorado (speaking of being ignored, I watched a Denver weather woman nearly completely ignore us while talking about the rain coming into Colorado from Arizona and New Mexico via the hurricane; the closest she got was a brief mention of “the San Juans,” the mountain range east of our actual southwestern-most corner; she absolutely ignored the Western Slope and northwestern Colorado).

The soft, gentle, “female” rain as the Diné (Navajo) call it is an absolute godsend. Maybe it will still give us some growth this fall. … We can hope (we’re pretty good at hope here in the Southwest :)).