Trivia

Hard

Which Creature Uses The Poisonous Tentacles Of The Portuguese Man O’ War Jellyfish As Weapons?

Blanket Octopuses
European Squid
Sea Otters
Sun Fish
Black and white drawing of a Blanket Octopus.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Wikimedia

Answer: Blanket Octopuses

As far as tool use in the animal kingdom goes, we’d have to say that using a stick to get termites out of a termite mound or the like really pales in comparison to what blanket octopuses will do.

The blanket octopus, named such because of the web of skin that connects two of its eight tentacles (adult females only), is immune to the stings of the Portuguese Man O’ War. Not content to be immune to one of the most poisonous jellyfish in the world, however, the blanket octopus will actually tear the tentacles off Man O’ Wars it encounters and use them as weapons.

Long after a jellyfish is dead (as any unlucky beach goer can attest) the tentacles will still sting as the stinger is activated by a chemical reaction with the target, not by the nervous system of the host, which means that for as long as the octopus wants to carry around their home-made jellyfish flail, they have a deadly weapon on hand.

More Trivia Questions

Trivia

Very Hard

Which Object Has The Longest Orbital Period In Our Solar System?

Trivia

Hard

The Modern Drinking Fountain Was Invented To Combat?

Trivia

Hard

The Heaviest Military Tank Ever Constructed Was Nicknamed The?

Trivia

Hard

What Was The First Song Performed In Space?

Trivia

Hard

Parasitic Infections Compel Infected Grasshoppers To What?

Trivia

Hard

The “Baker’s Dozen” Originated As A Way Of?

Trivia

Hard

What Film Is Aired Every Year On Christmas Eve In Poland?

Trivia

Easy

What Is It Illegal For The U.S. Treasury To Print On Currency?

Trivia

Easy

A Military Strike On A Korean Airliner Prompted Public Access To What?

Trivia

Hard

The First Live Action Film With No Human Characters Was?