In This US Town, Spider Lovers Gather To See Male Tarantulas Searching For Mates

Love is in the air—well, at least for tarantulas! It might sound a bit odd but a US town celebrates an official tarantula mating season every year. As the male spiders emerge from their burrows in search of love, they draw in crowds of arachnophiles, eager to witness this fascinating spectacle, to the small farming town of La Junta in Colorado. While spiders often give us the creeps, this season transforms the atmosphere into a joyful celebration.

According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), last weekend, enthusiasts, families and scientists set out to observe the wandering tarantulas across the dry, rolling plains. Flashlights and car headlights illuminated the night as these large spiders made their appearance.

In the town, festival-goers got creative and participated in a hairy leg contest where a woman emerged as the winner this year, as per the report. During this joyful occasion, vintage cars are adorned with giant spider decorations and paraded through the town as the onlookers watch. The event even featured a screening of the 1990 cult classic Arachnophobia, a film about a town overrun by spiders at the local theatre.

For the residents of La Junta, tarantulas are far from the terrifying creatures often portrayed in movies. These spiders are an important part of the local ecosystem. The tarantula festival has become a delightful attraction as it draws visitors from across the US who may not have otherwise visited this close-knit community in southeastern Colorado. This year marked the third annual celebration of this unique festival.

The report mentioned that Colorado Brown tarantulas are particularly prevalent in the La Junta area, where they create their burrows in the pristine prairies of the Comanche National Grassland.

Among the attendees was Nathan Villareal, a tarantula breeder from Santa Monica, California, who felt compelled to experience this unique mating season. Villareal sells tarantulas as pets nationwide and has developed a fascination for them since childhood.

“We saw at least a dozen tarantulas on the road, and then we went back afterwards and saw another dozen more,” Villareal said as quoted by AP.

As per the report, mature male tarantulas venture out in search of female burrows during the months of September and October. They identify the female burrows as they are usually marked with silk webbing.

The best time to see them is about an hour before dusk when it cools down. According to Cara Shillington, a biology professor at Eastern Michigan University, male tarantulas take around seven years to become ready to mate and usually live for about a year after that. In contrast, females can live for 20 years or more. Males grow to about 5 inches long and use special appendages on their heads to drum on the outside of a female’s burrow. If she is interested, the female will come up and the male will grab onto her fangs.

The mating process is brief as the male tarantula needs to escape quickly to avoid being eaten by the female. She is usually a bit larger and requires additional nutrients to support her pregnancy.

Many children who attended the festival with their families discovered that spiders aren’t as frightening as they once thought. 13-year-old Roslyn Gonzales expressed her excitement about searching for spiders as the sun began to set.

For graduate student Goran Shikak, who studies technology at the University of Colorado Denver, the festival is a chance to celebrate tarantulas alongside others who share his passion.

“They’re beautiful creatures. And getting to watch them do what they do … is a joy and experience that’s worth watching in the wild,” Shikak said.