Tourists Flock to Southern Colorado in the Fall to See Tarantulas on the Move

According Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Wildlife Manager Steve Keefer, they typically don’t survive their first mating season. “They use their fat reserves as they go [looking for a female],” he said, “and there is a lot of risk from predators because they stand out. Fox, coyote, bobcats and birds of prey will get them and the hawk wasp lays its eggs in the body of a tarantula.”

Some cities, like La Junta, actively encourage tarantula tourism to capitalize on the unique fascination. If you’re heading to Colorado to see the tarantulas, the city’s website advises you to choose a warm day without wind, go an hour before sunset, and check out Comanche National Grassland for ideal viewing.

And whatever you do, don’t bother them, touch them, or try to take one home as a souvenir.