August Eco-Blitz Challenge

Good day! The monsoon season has been good this year! Keeping it just a little bit cooler for us to get out and enjoy the great outdoors!

The August Challenge is Blond Tarantula Spider- These fascinating spiders are nocturnal but can be found in the early morning hours. The times i have seen these guys is in the early morning high a top the mountain. The pics in the flyer are from the Ford Canyon Trail at White Tank Regional Park.

The desert blond tarantula (DBT) is 3 to 5 inch-large bodied (8-13 cm) spider, the female is usually tan in color. The male has black legs, a copper-colored cephalothorax, and a reddish abdomen. The common name "blond tarantula" refers to the carapace, which is densely covered in pale hairs and contrasts strongly with the all-dark legs and abdomen. Tarantulas are ectothermic, meaning they absorb heat from their environment. DBT’s can live up to 20 years, they become sexually mature at 8-10 years. They are reclusive and nocturnal spiders, that feed on lizards, crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and caterpillars. They also feed on parasites.

They are common throughout the Southwestern United States, especially in Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern California. These spiders are usually solitary, they reside in desert soil and create burrows by digging themselves under stones, or using other rodent burrows. They may live in the same burrow for decades.
The flyer can be found here
POWO produces POWO

Posted on 02 August, 2021 15:12 by juanitajn5