Texas Tarantula Mating Season Invasion

I saw that which you see there, this morning, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, informing me of a new thing to keep an eye out for when out and about outside in Texas. 

My previous years in Texas I do not recollect ever reading about tarantulas being out by the thousands.

I have only seen one tarantula since I have been in Texas. Years ago, in South Dallas, in Cedar Hills State Park.

According to the Star-Telegram, during summer, thousands of tarantulas, of the male tarantula sort, go on a massive migration in search of an unattached female to mate with and make oodles of baby tarantulas.

Female tarantulas live way longer than the males, even as old as 25 years. The female can lay between 100 to 1,000 eggs in a web, where the babies are born, taking up to 60 days to hatch.

Two slightly disturbing paragraphs from the Star-Telegram article...

ARE TEXAS TARANTULAS DANGEROUS?

“One of the most spectacular spider events in Texas occurs for a few weeks each summer when male tarantulas actively wander apparently seeking females,” says the TAMU field guide. “This phenomenon is not well understood and may be related to migration more than mating.” 

Seeing the spider in Texas during the summer may be alarming because of its large size and hairiness. While tarantula bites are painful because they have sharp fangs, they are not harmful to humans and the venom injected is not dangerous. Tarantulas also defend themselves through urticating hairs on the abdomen, which can cause eye or skin irritation.

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I do not like the idea of thousands of tarantula males wandering the land looking for a girlfriend. I did not know that tarantulas can bite. I thought they were harmless. 

Well, I think I am safe from marauding tarantulas at my current Texas location. I rarely ever even see regular sized spiders here...