Forget the flowers and chocolates, on the Colorado plains, love has eight legs and lots of hair. It’s tarantula mating season, and male tarantulas are crawling out of their burrows, ready to find a mate. Meanwhile, La Junta, Colorado, is rolling out the welcome mat for both the spiders and the spider-loving crowd that follows them.
Every fall, La Junta becomes a hotspot for scientists, spider enthusiasts and curious families. Armed with flashlights and car headlights, they gather at dusk, hoping to spot male tarantulas on their desperate search for love.
For these spectators, it’s not just about the spiders. This year’s festival featured a hairy leg contest, where this year’s winner was actually a woman. Plus, there was a vintage car parade with giant spider decorations on the hoods. The local theater also screened the classic “Arachnophobia” to keep the spider spirit alive.
La Junta’s famous “Colorado brown” tarantulas may look a little scary, but they’re actually key players in the local ecosystem. It takes these male tarantulas seven years to be ready for romance, but once they’re out looking for a mate, their days are numbered. They’ve got a year left to live afterwards, while females can live for over 20 years.
Males tap outside a female’s burrow to let her know they’re interested. If she’s willing, the mating happens fast, and males need to escape before the female decides he’s more of a snack than a suitor.
While tarantulas might give some people the creeps, they’re a vital part of the Colorado ecosystem.
