Great Wilderness’ Tarantula Expedition to Mount Diablo.

So up until now I have only read about tarantulas at Mt Diablo State Park (http://www.mdia.org/spinfo.htm), but seeing is believing and we had a wonderful tarantula trek on October 3rd and learned lots! Here are the details:

Normally these burrowing tarantulas are nocturnal but during the breeding season (late September to early October) the males are out night and day cruising for females. They burrow in soft rocky soil and build web tunnels into their burrows which they decorate with leaves.

A Park Ranger guided us to a tarantula hang-out: Junction Campground where we were able to find several burrows and we even saw one juvenile tarantula - very beautiful and fast! They are actually very docile critters and not inclined to bite humans unless provoked.

There are 15 or so species of "tarantulas" in California, which belong to a family called the Mygalomorphs. These are considered relatively primitive spiders.

When a male tarantula finds a female burrow he taps the entrance with his legs and entices her to emerge. This is a dangerous operation. Tarantulas have been known to kill and eat animals much larger than themselves including small rodents, lizards, a small rattlesnake and even other tarantulas. The female may charge him with her fangs exposed.

After mating the male tarantula will soon die; his job is done. Females on the other hand have been known to live over 20 years! Soon she will plug her burrow and spend the winter safe and secure far underground. Deep in her lair the following spring she will spin a thick egg sac and deposit 500 to 1000 eggs in it. The spiderlings hatch in about a month; the mother tears a small hole in the sac for her babies to emerge. They hang out with her for awhile before leaving the burrow. And the cycle for another amazing animal begins anew. Join us the first Saturday in October 2012 for an over night Tarantula Trek at Junction Campground.

The Anza Borrego Desert and Joshua Tree National Park Expedition

We hiked up a wash (a place where water flows in the rainy season) to a vista point.  We were surrounded by native plants in full bloom, such as: desert lily, desert chicory, desert lavender, Bigelow’s monkey flower, buckwheat, sand verbena, creosote bushes, Ocotillo cactus, Lupine, and barrel cactus to name just a few.  Both the flora and fauna of the desert simply come alive in the spring!  Light up a lantern at night and you will likely attract a diversity of stick bugs.  In late spring, you might even see baby birds in nests.  We saw two large, playful red-tailed hawk babies in an Ocotillo cactus. (Read More.....)

Acacias, Ants, and Vegetarian  Spiders

I love to walk through a tropical rainforest anytime of the day or night.  If it’s dark and I can’t see much but the forest is alive with sound, much of it due to croaking frogs and loud insects.  And, with a flashlight there are plenty of glowing frogeyes to see!  If you have a lantern you are a bug’s best friend!  They will quickly fly or crawl to the warmth of your lantern.  Place your lantern on a white sheet to see the extraordinary beauty and diversity of your new insect friends.  I would try to carefully and slowly kiss the big ones but that’s me; don’t try it unless you know what you’re doing.....(Read More)