National parks: Tarantula - public domain image

Tarantulas are most likely to be seen in September and October in the monument, when male tarantulas are walking about in search of mates. They check out every potential burrow, looking for a female ready to lay eggs in a nest she has prepared. Most of the year, they are more secretive, spending the day in their burrows, emerging to hunt at night. Tarantulas eat a variety of insects and other invertebrates, and possibly small lizards, snakes, and rodents. If provoked, the tarantula may inflict a painful bite, similar to a bee sting. In general, they are not aggressive and rarely use their fangs, except to catch prey. Tarantulas reach maturity at 10 years, and females may live over 20 years. Males die within a year of mating. Tarantulas are preyed upon by lizards, snakes, birds, and tarantula hawks - a large flying insect that paralyzes tarantulas so they can lay their eggs in the tarantula, allowing their larvae to feed on the paralyzed tarantula after they hatch.

cesar e chavez national monument spider spiders tarantula tarantulas year tarantula hawks burrow eggs insects lizards snakes national parks gallery ultra high resolution high resolution california keene wildlife

1916 - 2020

National Parks Gallery

https://npgallery.nps.gov/

Public Domain Dedication