Las Placitas Association: Radio Station Upgrade and Watch Out for Tarantulas

KUPR-LPFM: Your public radio station has been working on an upgrade to the streaming of the radio signal. FM radio signals are line-of-sight, so our terrain makes it impossible for many to pick up the terrestrial signal. We have streamed to the internet for some time, but at a very basic level. We researched several services and selected a company that can help us provide a much enriched listener experience including interacting with your favorite DJs. If you get the stream somewhere other than “Listen Now,” TuneIn or Radio Garden where the change will be transparent, please watch kupr.org for information on how to find us again. This is also where you will find an app for your mobile devices and information on connecting via smart speakers like Alexa.

A day in the life of a tarantula: Tarantula migration season is drawing to a close and, if you were lucky, you got to watch a few of them on their journey. Technically it isn’t a migration: mature male tarantulas are on a quest to find mates, exposing themselves to tarantula hawks, cars on the road and people. If you see one on the road, consider helping him across. A piece of sturdy cardboard for him to crawl onto works. Please don’t squash him. He just wants a girlfriend and hopefully one that doesn’t eat him. Here are a few facts about our high desert neighbor, the Desert Tarantula:

1. Most of the year they are nocturnal and stay close to their burrows except during mating season when males leave their burrows to search for receptive females.
2. They eat insects, which they hunt down and kill with venom.
3. The venom is harmless for humans unless you have an allergic reaction.
4. Although large, they are quite fragile. A fall can break its legs.
5. When threatened, a tarantula will rear up on its back legs, exposing its fangs.
6. Males live only until they reach adulthood and can mate (about 7-8 years).
7. Females can live up to 25 years, giving life to thousands of offspring.