Mating Season For Tarantulas In So. Utah -- Should We Be Scared?

As a kid, I truly believed a tarantula could kill you.

Big and scary spiders, it made sense to me that they could be killers.

There was even a Brady Bunch episode where they found a tarantula in bed with the main characters because somebody was "trying to kill" them.

So when I heard late September and early October was tarantula mating season, I was a little apprehensive.

But as it turns out, tarantulas can't kill you. In fact, they're hardly venomous at all.

Said one tarantula expert at Zion National Park: "Despite their portrayal in horror movies as deadly, poisonous, and aggressive, tarantulas are actually docile and interesting creatures. Although tarantulas are capable of biting a person if harassed, bites are very rare and their venom is considered non-toxic to humans. And like most wildlife, they won’t bother you if you don’t bother them."

This time of year, male tarantulas venture out and about looking for a mate. While the females rarely venture out at all, the males are out cruising for females.

Because of this, male tarantulas have a lifespan of just 10 years while females usually live twice that long, sometimes up top 25 years.

Tarantulas hunt at night, and they eat primarily insects like grasshoppers, beetles or other spiders.

Tarantulas use their fangs to inject venom that subdues and digests the prey. A cricket can tide a tarantula over for a few weeks – a good thing in the desert, where food may be scarce.

So next time you come across a tarantula, don't be afraid. It can't kill you. Unless you're a grasshopper.