Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The rings brighten when the animal is disturbed. The figure is taken from Australian Museum, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A blue ringed octopus flashes a warning before it bites

The rings brighten when the animal is disturbed The octopus is small and normally hides in sand or rubble. Its venom blocks nerve signals and can be lethal. There is no antivenom, so treatment is to support breathing until the toxin wears off. It sits in Mondo's animals collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Australian Museum

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Nature & Animals trivia

More facts like this

The blue-ringed octopus carries venom strong enough to kill humansA tiny blue-ringed octopus holds enough tetrodotoxin to paralyse 26 adults.An octopus has three heartsTwo pump blood to the gills and one pumps it around the body.An octopus has three hearts and blue bloodTwo hearts pump through the gills and one serves the body The mimic octopus imitates other sea creaturesIt flattens, spreads or curls its arms to resemble a flounder, lionfish or sea snake Komodo dragons kill prey using potent venom glandsKomodo dragon bite delivers anticoagulants that prevent blood clotting.Honey badgers can sleep off venomous cobra bitesTough loose skin and specialized neurotoxin resistance protect honey badgers.

Tags: octopus, venom, warning

A blue ringed octopus flashes a warning before it bites: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The rings brighten when the animal is disturbed. The figure is taken from Australian Museum, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.