Colorado City Dubbed ‘Tarantula Capital of the World’ Is Bracing Up For Mating Season

October is undoubtedly the month for spiders, haunted hotels, zombie stories, and everything spooky. Spiders are considered creepy and crawly, and 15% of the population has a fear of spiders called arachnophobia.

Filmmakers take advantage of the size of tarantulas and the fear of the eight-legged creatures to scare people for years. La Junta uses the spooky season and people’s fascination with tarantulas by making the tarantula mating season a tourist attraction.

Tarantulas live in permanent burrows dug into the ground. Instead of hunting prey, a male tarantula waits for the prey to find him. They rarely venture farther than the opening of their burrow. However, when the cooler fall temperatures arrive, male tarantulas start traveling to find where the girls are.

From September until the first frost, the “tarantula capital of the world” gets ready to see twice as many spiders. Tarantula mating season is a tourist attraction in La Junta.

La Junta, Colorado, has been dubbed the “tarantula capital of the world.” The name is due to the high number of arachnids that live there. Subsequently, arachnid enthusiasts looking to see some of the biggest spiders in the United States travel to La Junta.

The arachnid sightings increase during the fall of the year. The cool temperatures make the male tarantulas leave the security of their burrows in search of true love. The male tarantula will walk up a mile searching for the perfect female.

Although highly anticipated, the tarantula mating season is dangerous for the creatures. Several predators take the opportunity to have spider snacks. The most common predators of the Colorado tarantulas include coyotes and birds. Tourists who want to see the spiders increase their opportunities by driving on the roads leading in and out of town.

What Do Tarantulas Normally Eat?

Tarantulas are carnivores that rely on larger insects for their meals. On average, these spiders feast on grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and other spiders! The larger tarantulas eat small lizards, frogs, snakes, and small birds. The favorite food of these spiders is large cockroaches.

Tarantula mating season is hard on the males of the species. After copulating, the females often kill and eat the males. If the male comes across a female that has already mated, she might kill him for food.

How Big Do Tarantulas Get?

Tarantula size varies depending on species and gender. The average mature tarantula measures between 4.5″ and 11″ when measured from the front leg to the back leg. The biggest known tarantula is the Goliath bird eater. The Goliath bird eater grows to be about 11″ long. It makes its home in northern South America.

Although three species of tarantula call Colorado home, Colorado is home to three species of tarantula. However, La Junta is home to the Oklahoma brown (Aphonopelma hentzi) species. On average, tarantulas in Colorado are close to 4″ in length.