Earlier this month wildlife officials in the state of California issued a rather unusual alert.  Be on the lookout for thousands of large spiders. It sounds like the introduction to a horror movie, but it’s totally true.

You see, warmer weather in the state has led to an especially robust and extended tarantula mating season. So scores of male tarantulas are wandering about looking for a lady friend. Not that we needed another reason to be fearful of climate change, but I guess you can now add “Tarantula Invasions” to the list of potential consequences. People may shrug their heads when you tell them about warming oceans, but put a picture of ground covered in giant spiders on a climate change poster, and I bet they’ll start to pay attention.

Yet the situation isn’t as scary as it might seem.  Infant, you might be surprised to learn that wildlife officials didn’t issue this alert to keep people safe from spiders. They did it to try and keep the spiders safe from people. Maybe you’ve heard the saying that “spider is more scared of you than you are of it.”  Well, there is plenty of reasons why this is true. As the Mount Diablo Park website states, “Tarantula venom is very mild and won’t harm you — unless you’re the size of a small lizard or cricket. The worst they could do is tickle your skin, which takes my mind to another very fanciful thing to think about, Tarantula Tickles. (you can have your own fun thinking up senarios for that on.

So if you happen to be visiting souther California, and see a bunch of tarantulas out on parade, don’t freak out. Just watch your step, bid them good-day, and let them be on their merry way.