If you see some big hairy spiders scampering around from now through the end of October, you are witnessing male tarantulas on what could be miles-long treks in search of female partners.
While Pueblo County and southeastern Colorado is home to several species of tarantula, the "Colorado" brown is the most common.
"The males we are typically seeing are looking for the females in their burrows," said Pamela Denahy, director of tourism and economic development for La Junta. "They use their senses to find them and we are still learning the science behind it, but they kind of knock at the entrance of the burrow when they find a female."
Denahy has become a de facto spider expert over the past few years due to La Juntas' close proximity to the 443,000-acre Comanche National Grassland, one of the favored areas of southeastern Colorado where the tarantulas thrive.
La Junta has capitalized on people's fascination with the spiders by hosting a Tarantula Fest since 2022, which "is a community festival where we balance fun events and humor with education about the spiders that are important to our ecosystem," Denahy said.
Tarantulas also are prevalent in Pueblo County and can be seen in Pueblo West, at Lake Pueblo State Park and near Colorado State University Pueblo.
What happens during mating season?
"Males can travel as many as 20 miles looking for females," Denahy said.
Sadly, the males don't live long past mating age as they are exposed to predators, cars and starvation during their treks. Female tarantulas also have been known to eat the males after they mate, Denahy explained.
By comparison, females who spend most of their lives close to their burrows can live up to 25 years.
Tips for responsible tarantula viewing
La Junta recently received a grant from the Colorado Tourism Office to help with a "responsible and respectful" viewing campaign during tarantula mating season.
"We are working very hard on education. We want people to know the tarantulas are not dangerous to humans but need to be treated like wildlife and should not be picked up or taken as pets," Denahy explained.
Part of the responsible viewing is to exercise caution around roadways.
"They are large creatures and it is exciting to see them and witness them in their habitat. It's best not to stop in the road to see the tarantulas — even though we are a rural area, people still travel at a fast rate of speed so we don't want anyone to jeopardize their safety," she said.
How to celebrate the tarantula in La Junta
La Junta embraces its title as southeastern Colorado's tarantula capital. The town goes all out to celebrate eight-legged spiders Sept. 27-28 with the Tarantula Fest .
The event includes educational talks by spider experts, safe and educational tarantula tours, a parade (during which both residents and their dogs dress up as spiders,) a car show, food trucks, vendors, a beer garden and a chuckwagon dinner. The Koshare Dancers also perform traditional Native American dances.
Tongue-in-cheek events include the hairy leg contest, the 8-legged races, face painting and tarantula craft projects. This year's event will also include the screening of the movie, "Arachnophobia."
"It really is a fun day to celebrate these spiders that have become quite a phenomenon," Denahy said.
For a complete schedule, go to visitlajunta.net/la-junta-tarantula-fest .
More spider news: Beware of giant spiders: Thousands of tarantulas to emerge in 3 states for mating season
Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via X , formerly Twitter, at twitter.com/tracywumps . Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com .
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Tarantulas are on the move in Pueblo County. Here's how to see them
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