A huge tarantula migration is about to start in parts of Colorado as thousands of the hairy arachnids set out on a search for mates.
The annual migration starts in La Junta, about 176 miles southeast of Denver, and the southeastern part of the state in late August. It continues through October.
Eew.
Wildlife officials say that the migration involves Oklahoma brown tarantulas. The majority of the spiders are 10-year-old males looking to mate with females hidden in Colorado’s grasslands.
“Male spiders are leaving their burrows to find suitable mates,” tweeted the Denver Museum of Nature and Science Thursday.
If you are not a fan of spiders, especially very large hairy ones, I would probably make an attempt to stay out of their migration path!
“The male tarantulas — when they reach about 8 years old — gang up in groups and set out, using their senses of touch and vibration to locate the females,” says the Visit La Junta website.
Receiving a bite from one of these hairy love spiders isn’t terribly dangerous. Their bite can cause injury or an allergic reaction, while their long hairs can be irritating to the eyes, nose and mouth.
