4) Blue-Ringed Octopus
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This cute little cephalopod mollusc is quite attractive at first glance. He’s only the size of a golf ball, so you might be forgiven for wanting to take him home in your pocket as a pet. But I don’t recommend it.
The blue-ringed octopus is to be found in the waters off the coast of Australia, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. The octopus’ venom can cause blindness, nausea, paralysis and respiratory failure, as well as death.
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Each individual carries enough venom to kill 26 humans in a matter of minutes. And the clincher is, the bite is so small that the victim doesn’t even feel it, so the likelihood of getting help is slim. And even if you did make it to the hospital, an anti-venom has not yet been designed. So you are screwed. But wait, it gets better. As your breathing slowly grinds to a halt and your body starts to shut down, you remain completely conscious. That sounds nice doesn’t it?
The venom of the blue-ringed octopus itself is pretty complex, containing tetrodotoxin, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. Just steer clear, right?
