This Video Of Tarantula Infected By Zombie Fungus Is A Nightmare

Tarantulas are already among the creepiest spiders, but imagine the horror of encountering a zombie tarantula! A chilling video making the rounds online shows a tarantula infected by a zombie fungus. Known as Ophiocordyceps unilateralis or cordyceps, this fungus typically preys on insects like ants and spiders. The video, shared by wildlife researcher Chris Ketola from the Peruvian Amazon, reveals the grim sight of the tarantula lying lifeless with the fungus growing from its body.

Showing a close view of the insect, Ketola explains how the zombie fungus (known for inspiring the hit TV show and video game The Last Of Us) infected the tarantula and took over its nervous system, leading to its death. He mentioned that the spider was attacked by a very rare species of cordyceps. “It is a horrific yet incredible find,” he adds.

In his caption, the researcher shared more details about the fungus and wrote, “Cordyceps is a genus of fungi that primarily attacks invertebrates, slowly eating their body while taking over their nervous system. The so-called “zombie fungus” has risen to fame recently due to the popular video game and TV show @thelastofus. This particular species of Cordyceps infects tarantulas and is quite rare; this is only the third time I’ve seen a tarantula infected by Cordyceps!”

While the video has gone viral on the internet with over 20 million views on Instagram, it has drawn a series of reactions from users who were left spooked. A user wrote, “Yeah OK, PATIENT 0 PLEASE STEP AWAY FROM THE CORDYCEPS,” while another commented, “Please back away from the Cordyceps. This timeline is already too much for me.” A comment read, “That’s fascinating. Cordyceps fungi have such a unique way of interacting with tarantulas. It’s intriguing how nature works in such complex ways.”

“So…you just lay there…in a t-shirt in the wet plant debris…you shower well when you get home??” a user asked.

A section of users ended up explaining why this zombie fungus won’t infect humans with different logic. Contrary to what studies say, The Last Of Us has depicted what would actually happen if these parasites decided to make a leap from insects to humans.