Monday, December 9, 2019

Guess Who's Coming to Visit! - 12/09/19

Guess Who’s Coming to Visit!
December 9, 2019
Yuma, AZ

On a few occasions we are fortunate to come upon a tarantula traversing through the desert. We find them fascinating to watch as they slowly meander to wherever they are going. They tend to be quite large, about 2 to 3 inches in size. On December 9, 2019 we encountered this specimen (see picture) visiting our campsite. They blend in so well with the desert ground, one has to be careful not to step on them. Obviously, you should always have a flashlight with you when walking about the desert at night!

Tarantulas give some people the creeps because of their large, hairy bodies and legs. But these spiders are harmless to humans (except for a painful bite), and their mild venom is weaker than a typical bee's. These spiders can live for up to 25 years and can be domesticated into affectionate pets. They are generally docile, very timid and bite only when provoked.

The desert tarantulas hunt on or near the ground. All tarantulas can produce silk; this species line their burrows with silk to stabilize the burrow wall and facilitate climbing up and down. Tarantulas mainly eat large insects and other arthropods such as centipedes, millipedes, and other spiders, using ambush as their primary method of prey capture. The biggest tarantulas sometimes kill and consume small vertebrates such as lizards, mice, bats, birds, and small snakes.

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