jasontexas
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2017
- Messages
- 3
So a few years ago, I was walking across my yard and I see a burrow with webbing over the entrance. I thought. "I'll come back tonight to see if its occupied" So later that night, I went out with a blade of grass and did a little fishing and this girl pops out:
My son and I immediately start looking for bugs to feed her. Over a period of about 6 years, we fed her many, many times. In the winter, she'd close her burrow and we'd see her the next spring when she opened it back up. We even saw her doing the uglies in the front yard one night:
Unfortunately, our area is pretty much infested with Tarantula Hawks and I'd often see them messing around at the entrance to her burrow during daylight hours. We'd always run them off but she was also good about sealing her burrow with webbing during the day to keep them out. One day about two years ago, we went out during the day and there was no webbing. I waited for several days, tried fishing her out at night to no avail. I finally dug out the burrow and there was nothing but an old molt. I figured the T-Hawks finally got her. So for two years, no indication of her or any others in the yard so we kinda forgot about it. Well last night, my son excitedly says, "Dad, the Tarantula is back!" so I go out that night and did some fishing and out pops another Rio Grande Gold but way smaller. Se search for and fed her a yard cricket. While looking for the cricket, we find two more burrows and two more Rio Grande Golds all the same size. I'm thinking momma must have had some babies before becoming lunch for the Wasp. I'll get some photos soon and add them. Very cool looking spiders!
Oh and momma did have some big chompers
My son and I immediately start looking for bugs to feed her. Over a period of about 6 years, we fed her many, many times. In the winter, she'd close her burrow and we'd see her the next spring when she opened it back up. We even saw her doing the uglies in the front yard one night:
Unfortunately, our area is pretty much infested with Tarantula Hawks and I'd often see them messing around at the entrance to her burrow during daylight hours. We'd always run them off but she was also good about sealing her burrow with webbing during the day to keep them out. One day about two years ago, we went out during the day and there was no webbing. I waited for several days, tried fishing her out at night to no avail. I finally dug out the burrow and there was nothing but an old molt. I figured the T-Hawks finally got her. So for two years, no indication of her or any others in the yard so we kinda forgot about it. Well last night, my son excitedly says, "Dad, the Tarantula is back!" so I go out that night and did some fishing and out pops another Rio Grande Gold but way smaller. Se search for and fed her a yard cricket. While looking for the cricket, we find two more burrows and two more Rio Grande Golds all the same size. I'm thinking momma must have had some babies before becoming lunch for the Wasp. I'll get some photos soon and add them. Very cool looking spiders!
Oh and momma did have some big chompers
