Nature hikes and tarantula sightings

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A tarantula sighting could be a sign that fall is just around the corner.

For those who are more curious than squeamish, this is the time of year when you're most likely to spot them, scuttling across local trails and roads.

Liza Kirkbride, an avid hiker in Santa Barbara, took a picture of a black tarantula crossing a paved road above the Jesusita Trail on Sunday.

Hard to believe but there are about 900 species of these large, hairy spiders throughout the world.

Experts with the Natural Wildlife Federation say adult tarantulas can grow up to 5" long. Their leg span is up to 11" when they're spread out. However, only one species is known in Santa Barbara: the Aphonopelma iodius. That's according to Schlinger Chair and Curator of Entomology Matthew L. Gimmel, Ph.D. with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

Gimmel's posted information explains that tarantulas are usually noticed most between August and November, when the males are on the prowl for "sedentary females."

A number of local residents said they've seen tarantulas during late afternoon and evening hours. However, they are active at night and others times of the year, looking for prey.

Tarantulas are predators of insects, including grasshoppers and beetles and, small lizards.