Tiktok Video Shows Woman ‘unknowingly’ Holding One Of The World’s Most Venomous Octopus Species

Without comprehending how hazardous the animal was, a lady posted a video on TikTok of herself holding an octopus she said was “the most toxic octopus species in the world.” The video, unsurprisingly, went viral.

The video was released on Monday by Kaylin Phillips, whose TikTok handle is @kaylinmarie21, and as of Wednesday afternoon, it had had over eight million views, one million likes, and over 17,000 comments.

Phillips claimed in the video’s text that she was in Bali and that she “unknowingly” held the animal. The video then shows a snapshot of a Google search for a “blue-ringed octopus,” which proved the octopus is a “very dangerous species,” even though it may appear harmless to some. Phillips contacted her father crying after learning she was holding a deathly monster, according to the video’s caption.

She added she “really handled two of them on the same day” and “tried to feed them oranges and played with them for about a good 20 minutes” in the comments section.

According to Oceana, an organization that defends worldwide waters, there are four species of blue-ringed octopus that live in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. The blue-ringed octopus is “one of the world’s most poisonous octopus species,” according to Oceana, and there is currently “no recognized anti-venom to cure a person who has been bitten.”

The venom of the blue-ringed octopus is called tetrodotoxin, or TTX, and it can paralyze a human in minutes, according to Healthline. According to Healthline, the paralysis will deprive the body of oxygen, resulting in death.

According to CNET, the blue-ringed octopus is the world’s third most poisonous animal, behind the Inland Tapian Snake and the box jellyfish, which are ranked second and first, respectively.

In a following video, the TikTok inventor said that she shot the video three years ago while studying abroad in Bali, Indonesia, while working on an animal welfare project.

“We spotted some extremely intriguing wildlife while we were there,” Phillips remarked in the video. “And I recall picking up this small boy as we saw him swim up. We passed him around in groups of three and didn’t think anything of it.”

Phillips said in the video that she didn’t find out the octopus was possibly deadly until she shared a photo from the trip on her Instagram story. (She didn’t say how she found out the octopus poison was lethal.) Insider was unable to reach Phillips for comment right away.)

Several people commented that creatures with brilliant colors are generally harmful. One reader remarked, “I’ve watched enough Animal Planet to know that gorgeous creatures with vivid colors are a no-touch zone.”

According to National Geographic, many “poison animals” have “warning colors, tints that would-be predators swiftly learn and remember to shun.”

@kaylinmarie21

Called my dad crying 3 hours later in Bali🙃 #blueringoctopus #bali #uluwatu #fyp #imdumb #thanksjesuschrist #ShowerWithMoxie #EnvisionGreatness

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