TikTok user licks Man o’ war in viral video and people are pointing out how stupid he is

People do reckless things all the time on TikTok but licking a deadly creature has to be a new low.

Users of the platform certainly seem to think so after a man posted a video of himself picking up and putting his tongue on a Portuguese man o’war.

The jellyfish-like siphomore is also known as a “floating terror” for its explosive stinging cells and poisonous venom, which can cause serious illness or even death.

The TikToker, who goes by the name Alexa Reed, shared the clip of his encounter with the creature which had washed up on a shore.

Poking it with his bare finger, he tells viewers: “Oh my gosh it’s so cold and so slimy, I’m going to pick it up.”

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Raising it off the ground he says: “Yes, it’s a jellyfish, look how big it is. And it’s still moving.

“Oh my god, I’m going to lick it,” he adds, sticking his tongue out to touch the translucent hydrozoan.

Horrified viewers swiftly informed Reed of how foolish he had been.

“My man’s just picked up the deadliest jellyfish with no hesitation,” one fellow TickToker commented.

“He obviously didn’t see the ‘TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS ANIMALS IN THE WORLD!!’ videos,” wrote another.

“That’s a Man o’war. They are 10x more dangerous than a jellyfish,” a third pointed out.

“This guy’s playing with his life right now,” a fourth observed.

The Portuguese Man o’war gets its name from its gas-filled bladder which sits above the water and somewhat resembles an old warship at full sail

Another user, by the name of Mndiaye_97, reportedly gave a more detailed assessment, writing: “That is not a jellyfish, it’s a Portuguese man O’ war, also known as the bluebottle, also known as the floating terror.

“It’s a species of siphonophore armed with millions of explosive stinging cells powerful enough to make Nemo an orphan and occasionally turn a person into past tense.

“This man O’ war is responsible for up to 10,000 stings a year in Australia alone and the venom can cause excruciating pain for up to three days, leaving a nasty, whip-like welt as a souvenir.

“But honestly, you’re lucky if that’s all you get because the venom can trigger an allergic-like reaction that results in throat-swelling, heart issues and difficulty breathing, as you suffocate, possibly to death.

“And fun fact, not only can they write your obituary days, even tentacles that have been separated from its body contain enough venom to incapacitate you.

“Getting stung by a Man o’ war is nowhere near a death sentence. Most of the time if treated quickly, it’s very survivable.

“But even though being put in a coffin by one is rare, the agonising pain that comes with it might make you wish it wasn’t.”

Reed posted two follow-up clips of him playing with deadly jellies

After the video racked up more than 590,000 likes and 18,600 comments, Reed posted a couple of follow-up clips.

The first showed him finding “another jellyfish” on the beach, which he then stepped on to make it “pop”, while the second featured him giggling and prodding another venomous creature.

A man walking his dogs in the background can be heard telling him that such actions will “put you in the hospital.”

But Reed responded by laughing incredulously, asking: “This one?” before poking it again and delightedly exclaiming: “It’s so slimy!”

Apparently it doesn’t matter how many thousands of warnings some people get – they just don’t want to learn their lesson.