Unusual roadblock: Tarantula’s encounter leads to collision in California’s Death Valley National Park

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LOS ANGELES, Oct 31, (Agencies); A peculiar traffic incident unfolded in California’s Death Valley National Park last Saturday, involving a tarantula and a motorcyclist who ended up in the hospital.

The National Park Service (NPS) revealed in a press release that the unexpected turn of events occurred when a rented camper van, carrying a Swiss couple, abruptly came to a halt to avoid colliding with a tarantula on CA-190, east of Towne Pass within the park.

As a result of the sudden stop, a 24-year-old Canadian man riding a motorcycle collided with the rear of the camper van. The NPS swiftly dispatched an ambulance to transport the injured motorcyclist to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump.

The NPS statement humorously pointed out that the tarantula, the unlikely cause of the commotion, emerged from the encounter unscathed.

Mike Reynolds, the superintendent of the NPS, emphasized the importance of cautious driving, especially when navigating steep hills in the park. He explained that some roads still bear gravel patches due to past flood damage, and wildlife of all sizes frequently roams the area.

Furthermore, the NPS clarified that tarantulas are slow-moving and generally nonaggressive creatures, comparing their bite to that of a bee sting, which poses no lethal threat to humans.

According to information from National Geographic, tarantulas typically measure around 4.75 inches in length and can live for up to three decades. These arachnids primarily prey on insects but can occasionally hunt frogs, toads, and even mice.

The NPS shed light on the fascinating life of tarantulas, describing how they spend most of their lengthy existence in underground burrows. They are most commonly sighted in the fall when male tarantulas, around 8 to 10 years old, venture out in search of a mate. In a rather grim twist of nature, the female often kills and consumes the male after mating. Even if she spares him, male tarantulas rarely survive more than a few months. In contrast, female tarantulas can live for up to 25 years.

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