I've been riding the Claremont hills at least 4 days every week since March. The first time I saw a tarantula was last Thursday. Yesterday I saw another. Are we entering "tarantula season" or something? It's kinda cool to see them cause I know they won't hurt me. Also cause they look so unique. I am told they are rather fragile...
The migrate in fall. I ussualy start seeming them in late summer. I saw 2 on a ride on Silverado Truck trail on Thursday. There usually pretty nice but I tryed picking one up yesterday and it almost bit me lol.
its spider season in general. i saw 3 trantulas in el moro last week in 1 ride. they come out at dusk near sunset. you'll also see wood spiders come out in the bushes in the evening this time of year, too....
Yep, they're on the move. I was able to catch two in our neighborhood last week and toss 'em back in the fields. The little kids in our track sure got a kick seeing the spiders.
I don't know about "tarantula season" but I know it's cross country season...claremont/marshall has been swarmed with runners lately...I haven't seen any tarantulas up there in claremont yet...and hope I don't those things are nasty lookin....
It's also Tarantula hawk season. (Wasp looking insect with burnt orange wings.) Do not handle them! They have the second worst sting in the insect world. Bullet ant is worse. Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk
Another insect with a powerful sting is the "velvet ant" or "cow killer." Like the "tarantula hawk," velvet ants are really wasps. And they are local as well. I've been seeing them on the Claremont Loop forever.
Taking this off topic After reading the bullet ant entry, all I can say is holy crap http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_ant#Initiation_rites
Don't hurt them if you try this but if you take a little stick and hold them down (Velvet ants)they make a hissing noise. Yea I love tarantulas too and try to save them from the "hawks" at CWP but once they're paralyzed I think it might be too late but I still try. I believe October is when the males go out in search of females so that's when you really see a ton of them.
nearly ran over a tarantula last week up at chantry. oddly enough it was the first time i had seen one in person
I got to see nature in full swing a few weeks ago at LaCosta. We saw a tarantula doing its thing get attacked and dragged off by a tarantula hawk. Very cool
Tarantulas are friggin cool, One of my favorites is teh Starburst Baboon tarantula. Mean as hell, been bitten twice, hurts like damnit. there not dangerous, but if your bitten, it hurts, ALOT. Watching/seeing the tarantula Hawk in action is pretty cool, little wasp taking out a spider much more its size, then dragging it off to a burrow, laying a single egg in it and leaving it. Nature is friggin cool!!!!! Couple pics I have I thought I would add Pretty sure this is a fake, but...
You guys are nuts!!! Saw a tarantula in pv last week and I almost wet my pants. Spiders and cockroaches give me the hibbiejibbies.
Saw a big Tarantula tonight on Telegraph canyon in Chino Hills SP tonight. Almost ran it over going down. would have been tragic but it was just hanging out on the trail. wasn't expecting it and i should have stopped to take a pic and move it off the trail but was having way too much fun going downhill!!! lol