Arachnid · GBIF taxon 2153596
California Tarantula
Aphonopelma eutylenumAlso known as California Ebony Tarantula
California tarantulas spend most of their lives tucked inside silk-lined underground burrows, emerging at night to ambush passing insects and small reptiles. During late summer and autumn, adult males leave their shelters to wander across dry hillsides in search of females, making them far more visible along trail margins. Females can live for over two decades in the same burrow, maintaining their retreats with meticulous silk weaving and molting periodically.
NocturnalBurrowingArachnid
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Grasshoppers
- Beetles
- Small lizards
Predators
- Tarantula hawk wasp
- Great horned owl
- Coyote
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation, vehicular traffic, urban development
HabitatsChaparral, oak woodland, arid grassland
Life spanFemales up to 25 years; males 7–10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyTheraphosidae
- SpeciesAphonopelma eutylenum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Urticating abdominal hairs cause severe itchiness, and bites cause local pain; observe without handling.
- Why it is dangerous
- Flicks microscopic urticating abdominal hairs that irritate skin and eyes, and can inflict a painful defensive bite if cornered.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Large brown to black furry spider visible wandering open chaparral paths during autumn twilight.
- What to do
- Watch from a step or two back and allow the spider to move across trails unhindered.
Responsible observation
- Autumn Observations: Look for roaming males on dry trails during late afternoon in September and October.
- Safe Distance: Keep at least a meter away to avoid triggering defensive hair-flicking or rear-up displays.
Predator (c) Seth Wollney, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Chris A. Hamilton, Brent E. Hendrixson, Jason E. Bond, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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