Porch pals

Katherine Loftis said her dog, Ruby, played with this tarantula for a while in her yard near Barren Fork Friday before gently carrying it to the porch, where she watched it for more than an hour. Fall in the Ozarks means male tarantulas are on the move, looking for females; they’re often seen on Ozark County roadways this time of year. The Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation website says female tarantulas can live as long as 30 years; males typically live a third that long.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423