Blue-Ringed Octopus
If you’ve never heard of tetrodotoxin, then now you have. While it sounds beautiful, the blue-ringed octopus is one of the most dangerous animals in the world. It’s the size of a golf ball but produces enough toxins to kill a human being. Tetrodotoxin, produced by the symbiotic bacteria in its salivary glands, is a neurotoxin that blocks the transmission of nerve impulses. When it feels threatened, it will attack.

The toxin is over 1,000 times more powerful than cyanide and unlucky for us, there’s no known antidote. What’s even scarier about this animal is that the bite is so small you won’t even feel it, meaning you won’t get treatment on time. These octopi live in the Pacific Ocean near Australia and Japan. If you find one, make sure you don’t pick it up in your hand. Even though there’s a chance of dying from its bite, the octopus also suffers when a human touches it. When it comes into contact with human skin, its energy gets depleted, which makes it more difficult for it to survive in the wild (CNTraveler).