Here are some fun facts about
Tarantulas at Los Vaqueros:
They usually appear in October at LV while looking for a mate. Generally, the males die shortly after mating, but the females can live more than 25 years.
They usually don't wear tennis shoes.
The most common North American tarantula is Eurypelma californicum, found in California, Texas, and Arizona. A 30-year life span has been recorded for one individual of this species.
Tarantulas are harmless to humans and can be trained as pets.
The tarantula spins no web but catches its prey by pursuit. It does spin silk, though. Females use the silk to line their burrows, and tarantulas use silk to store dead prey.
There are more than 800 species of tarantulas.
The tarantula is a nocturnal hunter. It does not spin a web to capture its prey, but catches food with speed. It will take virtually anything of the right size that moves within range, but feeds primarily on small insects like grasshoppers, beetles, sow bugs, other small spiders and sometimes small lizards.
The tarantula strikes with its fangs, injecting venom and grasping the prey with its palps, arm like appendages between the mouth and legs. Then the Tarantula grinds its victim into a ball, secretes digestive juices onto it, and sucks up the liquefied prey. It may also wrap the ball in silk for a later meal.
What About Cattle and Sheep On The Trails?
You may run into cattle or sheep on the trails. They are not aggressive, but they are large animals.
Here are some safety tips:
Approach cattle and sheep slowly. Most will move away as people approach on foot or bicycle.
If possible, walk around groups of cattle, not through them.
Don't approach calves, even though they may seem cute. Their moms are usually watching and will not be happy.
Avoid getting between calves and their mothers.
If you see a sick cow or sheep, please report it to our staff at the Watershed office, Marina or the entrance gates.
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Los Vaqueros Tarantula Run
Getting Ready for Tarantula Run 2009!
Set Your Calendars to
Saturday, Oct. 24
Updated 11/24/08
We're already starting to get ready for the 2009 Tarantula Run, while we're still unpacking boxes from the last race.
The big thing we've done is set our race date for the Fourth Annual Los Vaqueros Tarantula Run as Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.
Three race records, and 17 age-group records fell at the Third Annual Los Vaqueros Tarantula Run Saturday, Oct. 28.
The most impressive record shattering performance came from Thomas Taylor of Phoenix in the half-marathon, who finished with a 1:21:51, breaking Jeff Cowling's old mark by nearly nine minutes.
Also in the half-marathon, Sharon Kovar was the only repeat overall winner of the day, breaking her old record by more than two minutes with a 1:49:16.
Beautiful weather greeted the more than 300 runners, who competed in four events ranging from a 1K for kids up to the 12.2 mile half-marathon.
We had a new winner in the 5K for the first time, with 15-year-old Dan Crabtree of Antioch High School winning. The first two years, Nathan Litwiller of Concord won. Nathan did not enter this year's race.
Dan's cross country coach, Michael Amorosa, won the 10K in 45:15, but it was MaryAnn Smith of Davis who wowed the crowd at Kellogg Creek, finishing second overall with a 45:45.
Three other Los Vaqueros events in 2009:
