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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