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Nightmarish photo of tarantula infected by a ZOMBIE FUNGUS
A field researcher working in the Peruvian Amazon stumbled upon a dead tarantula infected by 'zombie fungus' and captured the nightmarish sight on video.
The zombie fungus, formally known as Cordyceps, seizes control of the mind and motor functions of its host before eating away at its body and sprouting from within.
'It took over his nervous system and forced him to come to this location, said wildlife researcher Chris Ketola, who posted the video on his Instagram.
'And then as he died, the fungus sprouted out of his body, allowing the spores to spread to another unsuspecting tarantula.'
If this sounds familiar, it's because Cordyceps was the inspiration for the hit video game and TV drama The Last of Us, in which humans struggle to survive after an infectious fungus begins turning people into zombies.
A field researcher working in the Peruvian Amazon stumbled upon a dead tarantula infected by Cordyceps - aka 'zombie fungus' - and captured it on video.
Each species of Cordyceps infects a different type of invertebrate. The type that targets tarantulas is rare - this was only the third Cordyceps-infected tarantula that Ketola had ever seen.
'This is a truly horrific but also incredible thing for our our team to have found tonight,' Ketola said.
When an insect host becomes infected with Codryceps, the fungus begins draining its body of nutrients - feeding on the insect from within.
Next, it fills the host's body with spores that will allow the fungus to reproduce, then hacks into the insect's mind.
The Cordyceps spores compel the insect to move to a higher location where more sunlight and warmth create the perfect conditions for the fungus to reproduce.
When the host finally dies, the fungus bursts forth from its body and releases more spores that will infect more insects.
Scientists aren't sure exactly how Cordyceps manages to take over its host's mind and motor functions.
Cordyceps, also known as the zombie fungus, was the inspiration for hit video game and drama series The Last of Us. But don't worry - this fungus can't actually infect humans.
But recent studies have detected chemical signals from the fungi inside infected insects. Some of these signals, which are likely secreted proteins, may target the host's behavioral systems
In The Last of Us, a fictitious, mutated form of Cordyceps infects and takes over the minds of humans, turning them into violent zombies.
But in real-life, Cordyceps can't infect people.
Each one of these fungal species are highly specialized, meaning that they've evolved to only infect a few select hosts.
Some fungal pathogens can make the transition from animals to humans, but Cordyceps is not one of them, experts say.