Desert tarantulas prepare for sex and death at Zion National Park

Desert tarantulas prepare for sex and death at Zion National Park

The desert tarantulas (Aphonopelma iodius) residing in Utah’s Zion National Park aren’t exactly the most social desert dwellers. Despite regularly growing over five-inches in length, the hairy arachnids are rarely spotted by visitors. Instead, the non-venomous spiders spend most days hidden in their underground burrows and generally only venture out at night to hunt for insects and other small prey. Since a single meal can sustain a tarantula fo…