A motorcyclist was injured in a road accident in Death Valley National Park caused by travelers from Switzerland who were apparently trying to avoid running over a tarantula.
The National Park Service (NPS) reported that Swiss travelers braked suddenly to avoid hitting a tarantula crossing CA-190 east of Towne Pass on the afternoon of October 28.
Then, a 24-year-old Canadian riding a motorcycle hit the back of the camper van rented by the Swiss couple.
The motorcyclist was transported to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, Nevada, by an NPS ambulance. their state of health is unknown.
Authorities said the spider escaped unharmed.
According to the NPS, tarantulas spend most of their lives in underground burrows.
In autumn, males aged 8 to 10 years old leave their burrows in search of a mate, so people tend to see these animals more at this time.
The female tarantula sometimes kills the male and eats him after mating. Even if it doesn’t kill him, the male tarantula rarely lives more than a few months longer. However, female tarantulas can live for 25 years and mate several times.
In a press release from the NPS, it warns that tarantulas move slowly and are not aggressive. Its sting resembles that of a bee and is not fatal to humans.
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