Greetings all. Tarantula seasons is almost here. I am still running the Lake Mary Tarantula Project: Cycle for Science! We usually see our first male tarantula in September! Steve saw one last week – but I am not sure if it was a male or perhaps a female escaping from a flooded burrow. Females are a lot more robust (chunky) than the males, and males have a little hook on leg 1 (see images).
You can start sending me your files beginning in September – unless we start seeing males earlier. Remember I need all bike trips even if you did not see a tarantula. By comparing trips with tarantulas to those without, we can tease out what environmental, and temporal factors are related to movement associated with mating. Preliminary data analysis indicates that humidity is pretty important to the appearance of male tarantulas.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.