The Comanche National Grassland is home to thousands and thousands of Oklahoma Brown tarantulas. The grassland is comprised of nearly half a million acres of remote, undeveloped public land just south of La Junta and it is the optimal place to view the tarantulas. While it is commonly referred to as tarantula "migration," the spiders aren’t really migrating from one place to another. Instead, they are emerging from their burrows and traveling an unknown distance in search of a mate. Outside of mating season, tarantulas always stay within two or three inches of their burrow.
And now, plague-ridden prairie dogs...
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Plague has been confirmed in prairie dogs at several sites in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, prompting officials to close some parks and take other precautions.
The Tri-County Health Department said prairie dog burrows are being sprayed with insecticide to kill fleas that could transmit the disease to the rodents, people and pets.
Closer to home, it's deer rescue season. It's illegal to shoot 'em in a water tank.
ST. HELENS, Ore. — Firefighters with Columbia River Fire & Rescue were called for an unusual rescue Sunday morning.
At around 7:30 a.m. the fire department received a call about a deer trapped inside a contact tank at the St. Helens water treatment plant.
The deer had one small area where it could stand. The rest of the tank is about 25 feet deep and full of water, according to Columbia River Fire & Rescue.