Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
The adult tarantula that was living in our backyard hasn’t been seen since the spring so I was delighted when a tiny one dug an equally tiny burrow beside our patio. I thought she wasn’t staying long as the hole was covered after a few days but she may have been molting as within a week or so she came back out and was a regular fixture each night. With the cooler weather the burrow is covered again, hope to see her in the spring.
📷: Nikon Z 7II | Nikon 105mm macro
🗓️: October 5, 2025
I named the two female tarantulas in the backyard Janeway and Seven so my initial thought was to name our new arrival Picard. However if he’s of age and ready to mate and Janeway invites him over … perhaps naming him Red Shirt would be more appropriate.
📷: Sony A6700 | Sony 100-400mm | Sony 1.4X
🗓️: July 20, 2024
It looks like one of our backyard tarantulas has gone missing and a male has taken over her home. He doesn’t seal off the opening to the nest every morning the way she did, I miss that. Amusingly though when he comes out after sunset he just sticks his legs out for a while before emerging completely, perhaps testing to see if the coast is clear while he can still beat a hasty retreat.
📷: Sony A6700 | Sony 100-400mm | Sony 1.4X
🗓️: July 20, 2024
Both of our backyard tarantulas emerged from their winter slumber last month though one completely sealed off her entrance again and this one I haven’t seen in a few days, though perhaps I’ve just missed her. She didn’t retreat to her hole one night a week ago when I let Bear out to go to the bathroom, so I grabbed my camera and she sat still for the 2.5 second exposure (sitting still is what she does most of the night).
📷: Sony A6700 | Sony 100-400mm | Sony 1.4X
🗓️: May 31, 2024
One of the tarantulas living in our backyard covers its hole before sunrise with a patchwork of webbing, removing it come nightfall when it emerges to wait for prey to walk by. I hear crickets in our front yard and elsewhere in the neighborhood but not in our backyard for some strange reason. While many spiders spin webs to catch prey this is more like a ‘No Solicitors’ or ‘No Vacancy’ sign. A larger tarantula living 12 feet away doesn’t cover its entrance hole however.
I’m not the only one taking a break for the fall and winter, they have both sealed their entrances with dirt and rocks as they tuck in for the cooler months, the larger one a couple of weeks ago and this one last night. Enjoy your long rest, see you in the spring.
Whenever I see the tarantulas living in our backyard I’m reminded of the painting “Truth Coming Out of Her Well” by Jean-Léon Gérôme, as contrary to how they are often portrayed on screen they just come out at night and sit beside their holes and wait for prey to walk past. I decided to try to photograph the one that’s easiest to see, in the darkness it required a 15 second exposure at ISO 3200. I left the exposure dark to emphasize this is a night shot of a nocturnal predator, but light enough that you get a feel of the beauty of what I see when I take Bear out at night and catch a glimpse of one of them at the diffuse edges of the flashlight’s beam.
Boolie 