By Tina Mitchell As we waited to pull onto U.S. Hwy. 50 from Coaldale on a September afternoon, a scampering movement low on the asphalt caught our attention. Four tarantulas skittered across the road toward the river. Whoa – tarantulas? In Colorado? What were those hairy arachnids up to here? Autumn looms right around the corner, and so too does tarantula mating season. During breeding season, mature males head out in search of females, providing surprise viewing opportunities while soundlessly beating many feet across pavement. (The tarantula genus name Aphonopelma derives from Greek for “silent foot”: aphono, “silent”; pelma, “foot.”) ...
