LA JUNTA, Colo. — Out on the eastern plains, as the sun dips behind the Rocky Mountains and the temperature begins to drop, Colorado's tarantulas will creep out of their burrows in search of a mate — an annual affair sometimes called a tarantula "migration."

While it's not exactly a classic love story, every fall, these animals lure in arachnid aficionados from near and far to witness the spectacle in person.

First, it's important to understand what this "migration" really is — and why we say it in quotes. It's not quite accurate to call tarantulas' movements a migration, as they are just more visible than other times of the year. They actually live in Colorado year-round. Butterfly Pavilion Lead Entomologist Mario Padilla shows a young female tarantula native to Colorado.

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