1,000s of tarantulas soon to march through Colorado

It’s that time of the year again, when part of Colorado turns into an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare as 1,000s of tarantulas emerge to find a mate in the southern part of the state.

Each year, between late August and October, male tarantulas are on the move in the Centennial State, first in southeastern Colorado through the month of September and then in a later wave that peaks in southwestern Colorado in October.

According to a report from USA Today, male spiders can take up to 10 years to reach sexual maturity. As they attempt to find a female mating partner that’s hidden in a burrow about a foot beneath the ground, male tarantulas use their hairs and legs to detect vibrations. Sadly, these males will mate once and die, sometimes killed by the female they mate with. Female tarantulas can live up to 20 years or more.

Three great spots to catch this natural phenomenon near the Colorado Front Range are the Comanche National Grassland, north of Ordway on Highway 71, and between La Junta and Kim on Highway 109.

While tarantulas don’t pose much of a threat to humans, it’s important that curious members of the public avoid interfering with this natural and important behavior in any way. While tarantulas typically can’t do much damage to humans, they can throw irritating hairs at potential threats and deliver a painful bite that’s often compared to a bee sting.

Five different species of tarantulas are found in Colorado, including Aphonopelma coloradanum, Aphonopelma echinum (Colorado chocolate brown tarantula), Aphonopelma hentzi (Oklahoma brown tarantula), Aphonopelma vogelae, and Aphonopelma marxi (Grand Canyon black tarantula).

Remember, while this phenomenon is predicted to occur each year, outside factors can impact tarantula numbers and where the tarantulas can be found.