CommanderBacon
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- May 21, 2018
- Messages
- 497
I went to Joshua Tree National Park this weekend to look for cool bugs and randy male A iodius. While it's early in the season for them and I didn't see any personally, I saw someone on IG had managed to find a fresh looking male in the park.
What I did find, however, was a cluster of dwarf Aphonopelma turrets! I never thought I'd be able to find some on my own, but I kept an eye out. After 5:30pm, I went to look for A iodius and nearly stepped on this:
It looked like someone had accidentally kicked or stepped on it previously, since it was a little oblong shaped. I was so excited that a couple walking by were like "what did you find?" and I was like, "a dwarf tarantula burrow!" and they looked unimpressed and kept walking.
Anyway, the hole was about a half inch in diameter and went deep down. The turret was softer than it looked and clearly had web in the center - very obviously a dwarf Aphonopelma. I believe that it was A joshua, but I understand that A mojave are also found in the area, so I have no idea which it could have been.
About 15 feet away, we found another two, a little over a foot away from each other:
One was almost an inch in diameter and the other was about 1/3" in diameter.
We didn't have any luck teasing the spiders out, but I believe the burrows are extremely deep. I shone a flashlight down one and could not see the bottom.
Still, as a person who loves dwarf Aphonopelma, I was thrilled to be able to find these! It totally made my weekend.
What I did find, however, was a cluster of dwarf Aphonopelma turrets! I never thought I'd be able to find some on my own, but I kept an eye out. After 5:30pm, I went to look for A iodius and nearly stepped on this:
It looked like someone had accidentally kicked or stepped on it previously, since it was a little oblong shaped. I was so excited that a couple walking by were like "what did you find?" and I was like, "a dwarf tarantula burrow!" and they looked unimpressed and kept walking.
Anyway, the hole was about a half inch in diameter and went deep down. The turret was softer than it looked and clearly had web in the center - very obviously a dwarf Aphonopelma. I believe that it was A joshua, but I understand that A mojave are also found in the area, so I have no idea which it could have been.
About 15 feet away, we found another two, a little over a foot away from each other:
One was almost an inch in diameter and the other was about 1/3" in diameter.
We didn't have any luck teasing the spiders out, but I believe the burrows are extremely deep. I shone a flashlight down one and could not see the bottom.
Still, as a person who loves dwarf Aphonopelma, I was thrilled to be able to find these! It totally made my weekend.