A note on tarantulas (you don't need to fear them . . .)

[Payton MacDonald]

I've seen in numerous posts that folks are often worried about tarantulas when bikepacking out West.  I assure you, you have nothing to worry about.  I keep them as pets and have been reading about them and studying them for about 10 years.  I'm not an arachnologist, but I do know that the only tarantulas that live in the United States are from the Aphonopelma genera.  There are numerous species in this genera, which is only now beginning to be properly researched and understood.

Like all New World tarantulas, Aphonopelma's primary defense mechanism are urticating hairs on their abdomen.  These are microscopic hairs that are essentially shaped like little barbed fish hooks.  When an Aphonopelma feels threatened, s/he will rub its abdomen with its hind leg and send out a cloud of these hairs.  For predators it may temporarily blind them or irritate them.  For humans it makes your hands a little itchy for a few hours.  (In fact, this was the primary ingredient for many decades in dime-store itching powder gags, before artificial substances took over.)  Aphonopelmas rarely bite, and if they do it's not much worse than a bad mosquito bite.

If you see a tarantula out West it will undoubtedly be a wandering male.  These guys have reached sexual maturity and are wandering around looking for females, who live in burrows.  They are totally and completely harmless and generally only have about six more months to live.  Please DO NOT step on them or run over them.  These animals are vital parts of the ecosystem and like most of our wildlife they are threatened.

Scorpions are a different matter.  Some of the species one finds in Arizona or New Mexico do have very potent venom and unless you're a trained arachnologist it can be hard to tell which ones are dangerous and which ones aren't.  So, I would avoid them, but still your chances of dying from a scorpion bite are pretty slim.  As always, our biggest danger is cars.

I hope that helps.  Happy riding,
Payton

[wahday]

Sage advice. On a recent trip (here in New Mexico) I rolled up my tent and found a tarantula that had sought shelter from the chilly night underneath it. Was still chilly and it was moving slow so we all got to observe it from a safe distance. Its a little disconcerting to see such a large spider, but they are harmless and very cool looking. I encounter them fairly frequently. At certain times of year, I see them smashed on the roads in large numbers in western NM.

My main concerns in the backcountry are bears, mountain lions and rattle snakes. But as with many things - if you don't bother them, they most likely won't bother you.

For the record, I have only encountered a scorpion once - on a float trip down the Grand Canyon. No one was bitten, but it is a formidable looking creature!

[bigworm]

Are you sure I was surely in grave danger of being mauled by this deadly foe.