Woman unwittingly holds one of the world's deadliest creatures

Footage of a woman holding one of the deadliest creatures on earth has left TikTok viewers shocked.

Kaylin Phillips from North Carolina in the US was on holiday in Bali when she came across a seemingly-innocuous ocean creature, which she filmed herself holding.

Little did she know the animal sitting on her hand was a deadly blue-ringed octopus, which is capable of killing humans within 26 minutes.

It wasn't until later when she looked up the species that Phillips discovered just how risky the move had been. Sharing the video on TikTok, she acknowledged this terrifying fact, writing: "Going to Bali and unknowingly holding one of the most dangerous animals."

The blue-ringed octopus kills its victims by injecting them with the venom tetrodotoxin, which paralyses them and deprives the body of oxygen.

Making them even more sinister, the animal's bites are not initially painful but will begin to hurt after 10 minutes before the numbness sets in.

They usually hide in shells and under rocks waiting for their prey.

Phillips' TikTok video begins with screenshots of information about the blue-ringed octopus she had discovered online. You then see her face comedically stretched, with the caption: "Cheers for still being alive."

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Phillips then shows footage of her holding the octopus on a beach, cupping it in both hands while someone splashes water on it and it crawls around.

Her TikTok followers were shocked.

"I've watched enough animal planet to know that beautiful animals with bright colours are a no touching zone," said one.

"Octopus woke up and chose peace," said another.

"The bright colour pattern is supposed to be a warning," commented another. "Do they not teach that in science anymore?"

"God protecting you girl," said another.

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