Eating a live tarantula in front of the camera cost her much more than views. Mexican influencer Ana Kare —who posted the video as a challenge to gain likes— began to lose sensation in her mouth and part of her face just minutes after ingesting it. What she called a “gastronomic experience” turned into a medical emergency.
The culprit was not the venom, but something much less obvious: urticating setae, those tiny hairs that cover tarantulas’ bodies. Technically, they are keratin structures with a microscopically sharp tip. When the spider feels threatened, it launches them like tiny projectiles that become embedded in the skin, the eyes, or —in this case— the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat, triggering inflammation and local nerve blockage.
Tarantulas are not edible with impunity. The video went viral, but the lesson was literally etched on her face. 🕷️