Watch This Idiot Sting Himself With a Venomous Fish

By now, you’re probably aware of Coyote Peterson and his loosely masochistic antics. He’s an animal expert who scours the globe in search of excruciating insect stings, snapping turtle bites and the occasional sloth turd. He wears a safari hat and offers enthusiastic musings on the animal kingdom.

In the latest episode of his Brave Wilderness YouTube series, Coyote journeys to the south Florida coast to square off with a lionfish, a venomous species labeled an invasive threat to reef ecosystems and native stocks of grouper and snapper, according to NOAA. The lionfish -- alternatively called a “red zebra fish,” “turkeyfish,” and “peacock lionfish,” among sundry other names -- is a dangerous bastard. The fish has 13 dorsal spines that “deliver a venomous sting that can last for days and cause extreme pain, sweating, respiratory distress, and even paralysis...If you are stung by a lionfish, seek medical attention immediately,” writes NOAA.

Even with the glaring advisories, Peterson went and bagged a lionfish and stung himself with it. As one can imagine, it’s a sweat-inducing thing to watch as the man writhes in pain in that familiar way.

click to play video

For all of his bravado, Peterson can’t hang with the lionfish quite like he did with the most painful insect stings in the world, namely because the fish packs a neuromuscular venom that slowly spreads throughout one’s body. As you can see, the pain isn’t immediate, or even really that bad. But the host can’t cope as he begins to feel faint. He stammers through his outro and needs to be taken home to apply immediate treatment to his hand.

The latter portion of the charade -- in which Peterson treats his hand and deals with the fallout of his absurd foray into nature’s dangerous side -- will be documented in a later episode. We can’t wait.

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Vice. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.