Why are people encountering them more often?
In Austria, since the beginning of September, over 200 encounters with two species of tarantulas have been reported on the citizen science platform naturbeobachtung.at. Experts have already been able to confirm 175 of them, writes Euronews.
Most tarantulas have been sighted in Styria since the beginning of September. With 66 reported cases, the second largest federal state surpasses Lower Austria (49) and Burgenland (43).
In Styria and Carinthia, only the black-bellied tarantula has been recorded so far, while reports from Vienna and Lower Austria have exclusively concerned the South Russian tarantula. In Burgenland, however, both species have been identified.
These spiders are particularly often seen in autumn. In search of a frost-protected winter shelter, they sometimes enter apartments, houses, or garages. In nature, they prefer shelters such as burrows in the ground and cracks in rocks.
In Austria, two native species of tarantulas are mainly found: the South Russian tarantula and the black-bellied tarantula. Both species belong to the wolf spiders and can bite if they feel threatened; however, this happens very rarely, for example, if they are touched or severely disturbed.
A bite can be painful and cause redness or swelling. For healthy people, it generally poses no danger.
According to the Austrian Nature Conservation Association, the South Russian tarantula was already recorded in the early 1920s in the area of Lake Neusiedl and in Vienna. The black-bellied tarantula was first documented in the 1970s in Styria.
Since then, confirmations have emerged from other regions. In 2024, the South Russian tarantula was documented for the first time in Styria.
A scientific study from 2025 also shows that tarantulas are again spreading in the Czech Republic after years of declining numbers. Researchers consider warmer and drier summer seasons to be an important factor.
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