Registration Opens For VERY Popular Tarantula Hikes On Mt. Diablo

From Trisha Clayton:

Tarantula love is in the air!

The Mount Diablo Interpretive Association (MDIA) offers free, guided, family-friendly treks to find hairy, harmless Tarantulas crawling the mountain looking for mates. No online dating for these creatures.

Although this large, furry arachnid spends much of its time hidden in burrows, as summer wanes, the male Tarantulas emerge from their homes in search of a mate. A 19th century scientific expedition described Mount Diablo’s Tarantulas as “attaining the size of a half grown mouse, possessing fangs the size of a rattlesnake’s, and delivering a bite generally considered fatal.” Is this the gruesome truth or just arachnophobia? Take a hike to find out!

Tarantula Trek:

Sunday, August 30; 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Join naturalists Ken Lavin and Liz Watson on a three-mile hike through Mitchell Canyon in search of Mount Diablo’s famous tarantulas Bring water, snacks, camera, flashlight and dress for the weather. Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center at 96 Mitchell Canyon Road; $6/car with exact change. Reservations required: sweettrails00@gmail.com or mtdiablohiker@aol.com.

Mount Diablo’s Gentle Giant, the California Tarantula:

Sunday, September 20; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Sunday, October 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Naturalist Michael Marchiano’sfascinating, free presentation about Mount Diablo’s famous gentle giant, the California Tarantula. Families can enjoy a close encounter with these creepy, totally harmless spiders and learn about where they live, their mating habits, what they eat, and more. Summit Museum at Summit Road in Mt. Diablo State Park; $10/car.

Tarantula Walks:

Sunday, September 6; 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 13; 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 20; 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 26; 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 27; 3:30 to 6 p.m.

Sunday, October 4, 3:30 to 6 p.m.

Sunday, October 11, 3:30 to 6 p.m.

Join MDIA naturalists Jim Holmes, Michael Marchiano and its team of docents for a talk about tarantulas followed by a leisurely 2.5 to 3 mile walk to see the male spiders looking for a mate. These often maligned, feared spiders are completely harmless to man. Learn why they’re only visible as the summer wanes, where they live, what they eat, how they survive. Bring water, snacks, camera, flashlight and dress for the weather. Mitchell Canyon Picnic Area at 96 Mitchell Canyon Road; $6/car with exact change only. Reserve early as the walks fill up quickly; limited to 25 people each. Reservations required: www.mdia.org.

About Tarantulas:

Tarantulas’ sizes range from as small as a fingernail to as big as a salad plate. Tarantulas are carnivores. They eat a wide variety of insects, especially larger ones such as crickets and grasshoppers, June beetles, cicadas and caterpillars. Legend and lore paints them as much more dangerous and frightening than they really are. In fact, they’re essentially harmless to humans. The hikes, led by naturalists, travel over moderate terrain, during which hikers will learn to identify Tarantula burrows and site Tarantulas along the way.

Tarantulas may live for years – most species take two to five years to reach adulthood, but some species may take up to 10 years to reach full maturity. Upon reaching adulthood, males typically have a one to one-and-a-half year period left to live and will immediately go in search of a female with which to mate. After mating the male will die of hunger or exposure, never returning to its burrow. Female Tarantulas have been known to reach 20-25 years in their burrows, and have survived on water alone for up to two years. All Tarantulas are venomous, but only some species have venom that, while not known to have ever produced human fatalities, can produce extreme discomfort over a period of several days.

The Tarantula treks are a fascinating way to enjoy these creatures on magnificent Mount Diablo, while respecting their space and habitat.