In the early fall the boy tarantulas appear and wander the hills looking for love. We really like this time of year and try to drive safely as they are often spotted crossing our rather sketchy road and we’d rather not smush them. See unlike the females of just about every tarantula species which rarely leave their burrows during their lifetime (which can be upwards of 30 years,) the boys reach maturity at around seven years of age and then in the autumn they leave their dens and go off looking for a lady friend or two. Turns out they won’t eat or molt again as they wander the hills and valleys.
Photos don’t really do these boys justice though. To truly appreciate how lovely they are, here’s a short compilation video I tossed together.