ARIZONA, USA — Why did the tarantula cross the road?
To find a mate before he dies.
You might notice more tarantulas crawling around than usual after the recent monsoon activity. 12 News fans shared pictures of tarantulas they saw after the storm. While it may have looked like some kind of invasion, you were actually witnessing a mating ritual.
Amy Burnett of Arizona Game and Fish says it's common to see a lot of tarantulas leaving their damp, dark burrows this time of year.
“People will talk about a migration of tarantulas, but reality is that they are just crossing the roads, going across the desert, they are on the hunt for females," Burnett said.
Burnett says mature male desert blond tarantulas must race against the clock to find a female, while the females lay back and wait. The guys only have a few months to find a mate before they die.
The males are much darker in color and they usually prowl the streets at night. They have about half the life span of females and they are much smaller.
“So if you see a whole bunch of tarantulas crossing the road, you might think it's your worse nightmare and think that there is some type of invasion but really all it is, it’s guys’ night out, it’s a bunch of guys cruising for females. They have one thing on their mind and they don’t have any intention of biting you,” Burnett said.
While tarantulas are arguably the creepiest of crawlies in Arizona, Burnett says they aren't usually dangerous and much rather be left alone.