We humans have an innate urge to lay our hands on things. And while it's not just reasonable, but advisable with cats and dogs, there are plenty of objects—living and inanimate—that we should approach only with our eyes.
However, as the subreddit r/WhyWouldYouTouchThat shows, not everyone is that careful. Whether they're fearless or just completely clueless, some of us just cannot resist poking, pinching, and prodding everything from venomous critters to radioactive waste.
Mandatory "don't try this at home!"
#1 Oooh, That’s Going To Sting
This is the Hooded Pitohui. These adorable little orioles are poisonous to touch because of the malarid beetles that they eat, exhibiting feathers which, when touched, can cause burning and irritation. If the toxin is ingested, it causes respiratory paralysis, similarly to cobra venom.
© Photo: shiriyokup
#2 Can You Tell Me What Is This Little Shiny One?
BigOlPenDisorder: Half life of cobalt 60 is ~5 years so it should be practically non-radioactive (manufactured in '63) But still, why
© Photo: Ippus_21
#3 Does This Count?
© Photo: TOGCHAMP
#4 That's A Yellow Bellied Sea Snake Brother
© Photo: itpainsohurt
#5 Scientific Name Put-Itus Downus
© Photo: palace_athene_8640
#6 This Is Some Nonsense
© Photo: SnowflakeRene
#7 Found On A Beach In Ireland
Frog_enjoyer123: That’s unfortunately a human mandible
© Photo: Xerison
#8 What This?
that is a man o' war! it's kind of like a jellyfish, though it isn't actually one. the "balloon"/sail is safe to touch, but please don't, in the future! if any tentacles are still attached/wrapped around the balloon, they can hurt you VERY badly. the stinging cells remain active after passing and can cause some very severe pain, and worse in some rare circumstances!
© Photo: Existing_Asparagus39
#9 Look At This Beautiful Baby Girl I Found On My Plants Today 🥰
© Photo: realliveanimals
#10 Hmmm
© Photo: Frostbite2000
#11 A Pregnant Black Widow. Nope Nope Nope Nope Nope Nope Nope
© Photo: IsolationOfAwesome
#12 Absolute Unit Of A Wasp
© Photo: Oldgraytomahawk
#13 A Tiny Alligator Snapping Turtle
© Photo: Quick-Incident-4351
#14 Swimming With An Absolutely Massive Great White Shark
© Photo: bman0424
#15 The Chinese Giant Salamander Is The Largest Amphibian In The World And Can Reach A Length Of Almost 2 Meters (6 Ft) And A Weight Of 60 Kilograms (130 Lb)
© Photo: alexthagreat98
#16 Does Anyone Know What These Are? Hundreds Washed Up On The Beach Today Miami Beach, Florida
most-perplex9811: By-the-wind sailors (Velella vellela)/Blue sail Jellyfish
© Photo: _picture_me_rollin_
#17 Tiny Shiny Black Things On Patch Of Driveway, Maybe Some Kind Of Seed?
© Photo: blinkos
#18 What On Earth Is This?
© Photo: fizzbite
#19 Cow Killer Ant
© Photo: froggoboio
#20 Nope And Never
© Photo: Snoo_89466
#21 Scientists Have Discovered The Largest Spider Web Covering 106 Square Meters With 111,000 Spiders Belonging To Two Different Species Who Are Rivals, Coexist Together
© Photo: EVD27
#22 What Is This Fish? Found In Australia Great Barrier Reef
Baby flying fish
© Photo: wobot19
#23 The Humble House Centipede
© Photo: naugahyde_vapor
#24 What Is She?
© Photo: Archdeacon_Airplane
#25 Strange Insect Web
© Photo: imN0tr00t
#26 Juvenile Eastern Brown Snake, Second Most Venomous In The World
© Photo: cuntygoat
#27 A Prickly “Stick” Insect
© Photo: chibiRuka
#28 Just For Confirmation...is This A Brown Recluse? (Midwest USA)
© Photo: Pristine-Positive648
#29 What Is This? Found In [florida] Ocean. It’s Heavy, Rubbery, A Bit Squishy
© Photo: 18SmallDogsOnAHorse
#30 Found Out A Day Later This Is A Highly Venomous Cane Toad
© Photo: hi-im-nick
#31 Sealed Glass Vial On The Beach
© Photo: urmomblowsthebest
#32 Walked Outside And Spotted This Strange Brown Smudge On My Tree
It's maggots...
© Photo: minitaba
#33 Is This A Tick Of Some Kind? In Southern Michigan
© Photo: SuperVDF
#34 Book With Growth
© Photo: Kay_of_all_trades
#35 Why, You Say? For Science!
© Photo: rolandglassSVG
#36 What Is The Orange Mold In This Bread?
© Photo: Substantial_Yak9006
#37 Nope
© Photo: theycalledherangel
#38 Plastic Suction Tube That Was Found Laying On Top Of Gas Station Trash Can
© Photo: ToeKnee724427
#39 Can You Guess What This Is?
© Photo: mlatiblat
#40 10/10 Would Not Touch Or Bring Home!
© Photo: ResearchSchmeSearch
#41 The Tattoo Is Sick, But Whywouldyoutouchthat
© Photo: MininoDeivid
#42 Is This A Moldy Tomato?! Why Is It So Big?!
© Photo: Dapper_Price7069
#43 Friend Found These On A Beach On The East Side Of Hawaii Island
© Photo: sachacura
#44 What Is This? Soft Ball Things Suddenly Fell From The Sky In The Middle Of The Night
these are almost definitely rat poison balls targetted at our dogs. These were thrown directly into our balcony and yard at 3am.
© Photo: Einherjeren
#45 Found A Severely Dehydrated Redback At Work
© Photo: swagggyyyyyyyy
#46 Just Why??
© Photo: FGL-art
#47 Found This Today At Our Local Thrift Store
© Photo: Wienerwrld
#48 Found This During Low Tide
© Photo: _picture_me_rollin_
#49 What The Hell Did I Find On The Side Of The Road
© Photo: mrs_adhd
#50 Taking A Break From Cleaning The Septic Tank For A Nice Handful Of Bacon
© Photo: Silly-Mountain-6702
#51 But Why
© Photo: thedarwinking
#52 What Kind Of Mosquito Is This?😳😳
© Photo: Darklight964
#53 What Is This
© Photo: Ok_Profession_990
#54 I Work For The Airlines And Found This In The Cargo Pit In The Plane… It’s Hard As A Rock
© Photo: smthsmthinsidejoke
#55 What’s This Black Stuff Under My Sink
© Photo: buttnibbler
#56 Saw Someone Posting A Pic Of Moth. Let Me Introduce You To Megaloblatta Longipennis
© Photo: RulerK
#57 Oh Hell Naw
© Photo: StormLokiPeco
#58 Dense Rubber-Like Slab Washed Up On The Beach - So Of Course We Gotta Touch It
© Photo: the1un1corn
#59 Opinion On Black Liquid Or Ooze Which Seems To Be Coming From A Tree
© Photo: reddit.com
#60 What In Gods Green Earth Did I Pull Up
© Photo: DirectorHuman5467
#61 It's Fluffy And Pretty And I Have Too Touch It
© Photo: MoonlitReigns
#62 A Pet Leech
© Photo: Lucy1967
#63 Don’t Boil Or Season It
© Photo: pinkcrab18
#64 What Is This?
© Photo: pierogi_slut
#65 Tonsil Boulder That Fell Out Of My GF’s Mouth This Morning 😭
© Photo: reddit.com
#66 What Is This Sea Creature That My Children Found Washed Up On The Shore? [east Coast Of Canada]
© Photo: Liz__Gloss
#67 What Is This?
It was a pill, [illegal substances]
© Photo: Crazy_Draw_9490
#68 What Is This Called?
© Photo: Spiritual-Macaron-13
#69 Found This Unidentified Sea Creature
© Photo: ComeflywithEm
#70 My Dad Grabbed A Wild Mouse
© Photo: SunnySolarSundance
#71 My Roommate's Tetanus Device
© Photo: serieousbanana
