Tourist handles highly venomous blue-ringed octopus with bare hand

 

A video posted online shows a tourist accidentally handling one of the most venomous creatures in the world.

The video, which was posted to Reddit, shows a hand holding a blue-ringed octopus, which holds enough venom to kill 26 humans in just minutes.

The blue-ringed octopus doesn't usually grow to much larger than a golf ball, but has the ability to paralyse humans.

The video shows the tourist, apparently in Australia, shaking their hand to get the octopus back in the sea, luckily before it gets the chance to bite.

Scientists say the species show their rings in bright blue when they are disturbed, and the video clearly shows the bright blue rings.

Reddit commenters marvelled at the stupidity of the person who picked up the creature.

"Do they even know how lucky they are to be alive after doing something that monumentally stupid?" said one.

Another joked that "whenever I see movement in Australia, I assume it's dangerous", referring to the nation's large amount of deadly snakes, spiders, and insects.

There is no anti venom available for a blue-ringed octopus bite but they can be treated if caught in time.

The blue-ringed octopus is not found in New Zealand waters, they commonly live from south Japan to the coastal reefs of Australia and the western Indo-Pacific.

Newshub.