Thousands Of Scary Tarantulas Are Menacingly Marching Thru Texas

Texans will soon be seeing these huge, fuzzy arachnids all over the place. Especially in desert areas around El Paso.

Big, scary looking tarantulas will soon be crawling all over Texas and we're not alone. New Mexico, Arizona and several other states are in for the same menacing marchers.

Don't worry though, they pose no real threat to us. They just look like they do.

Texas tarantulas are known for being pretty heavy, (they're actually the heaviest spider), and grow ... with some exceptions ... to between 1 and 2 inches in length. I have seen them get even bigger out in the deserts of El Paso.

Why Are There Suddenly So Many Tarantulas?

What's happening now is mating season. Tarantulas live underground and the males stay there for anywhere from 5 to 7 years.

Then, they pop up hungry and way ready for some lovin'.

Little do they know though ...

Why Do Female Tarantulas Live So Much Longer Than Males?

Male tarantulas live just a few years while females can get well into double digits, some living as long as 40 years. (20 would be considered average.)

The biggest reason for the age gap is that, after they do the deed, females typically kill and eat the males.

Given that females can have up to 1,000 young 'uns at a time, the males may be all about this "kill me now" thing.

Tarantulas look mean but they're generally not and, while getting bitten will hurt and may have some unpleasant effects, they won't kill you.

Hollywood has given these guys a pretty bad rap. I've handled many and never had a problem

Just so you know though, they will defend themselves ... especially a young mother with 'lil spider-itos ... so, admire them from a distance.

Not only can they bite ...

They also have urticating hairs which are kicked off at the spiders’ attacker and can cause irritation if they come in contact with skin. - usatoday