Tarantulas Looking for Love In California; Hikers Warned

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Tarantulas are out looking for love and hikers in Southern California's Santa Monica Mountains are warned to watch out for the hairy spiders.

The National Park Service said Thursday that tarantula mating season has begun and will last through the end of October.

The Los Angeles Times says that means the giant arachnids will spend the next two months weaving webs just above ground, outside the female's burrow.

Experts say because females typically stay inside, if a hiker comes across a tarantula on a footpath, it's probably a male on the lookout for a mate.

Though they have fangs and carry poison, tarantulas are not considered a serious threat to humans.

The spiders move slowly so hikers can take pictures, but park officials are urging people not to touch the creatures.