Love is in the air on the Colorado plains as tarantula mating season kicks off in the small farming town of La Junta. Hundreds of arachnophiles gather to witness male spiders emerging from their burrows in search of a mate. Festivalgoers participate in activities such as a hairy leg contest and a parade with giant spiders on vintage cars. For residents of La Junta, tarantulas are not seen as nightmare-inducing creatures but rather an important part of the local ecosystem and a unique draw for visitors.
While Colorado Brown tarantulas are the most common in the La Junta area, tarantula breeder Nathan Villareal from Santa Monica, California, was drawn to the town by the mating season spectacle. Peak viewing time for the tarantulas is an hour before dusk, when the males are out in search of a female’s burrow. The males, which take about seven years to reach reproductive readiness, only have a short lifespan after mating as the females tend to eat them. Despite their reputation, North American tarantulas are generally docile creatures and their venom is not harmful to humans. The festival serves as an opportunity to educate people about these misunderstood creatures.
For many attendees, including biology professor Cara Shillington and arachnology student Goran Shikak, the tarantula festival is a celebration of these beautiful creatures and an opportunity to observe their mating rituals in the wild. Children at the festival also learn that spiders are not as scary as they may seem and are eager to join in the spider-hunting activities. The festival has become a tradition in La Junta, with word spreading quickly among neighbors about the influx of visitors during the annual event. The tarantula mating season offers a unique opportunity for people from all over the U.S. to experience nature in a new and fascinating way.
Male tarantulas spend their lives searching for a mate once they reach reproductive maturity, with females having a much longer lifespan than males. The mating process is quick, as the male must avoid being eaten by the female after mating. Many attendees at the festival are passionate about dispelling the fears people may have about tarantulas and other spiders, emphasizing that these creatures are more afraid of humans than humans are of them. The festival provides a platform for education and appreciation of these often misunderstood creatures, highlighting the beauty and wonder of nature right in their own backyard in La Junta, Colorado.
