This mushroom will kill you before you know what’s happening - Michael Beug

Explore the toxicity of death cap mushrooms, and find out what makes this one species so dangerous to humans.
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Humans have known about the toxicity of death cap mushrooms for millennia. Yet they continue to pose a significant threat to unsuspecting foragers and mushroom hunters throughout the world. Today, death caps are responsible for more than 90% of all mushroom related deaths, killing upwards of 100 people each year. So, what makes this one species of mushroom so dangerous? Michael Beug investigates.
Lesson by Michael Beug, directed by Denys Spolitak.
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Vector-Dopamine math, Jasper Song, Giorgio Bugnatelli, Chardon, Eddy Trochez, OnlineBookClub.org, Eric Shear, Leith Salem, Omar Hicham, Adrian Rotaru, Brad Sullivan, Karen Ho, Niklas Frimberger, Hunter Manhart, Nathan Nguyen, Igor Stavchanskiy, James R DeVries, Grace Huo, Diana Huang, Chau Hong Diem, Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Noname, Hansan Hu, David D, Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle and Laurel-Ann Rice.

[@hotbecky880707]

This is why I only forage for mushrooms at the supermarket

[@jaspermcjasper3672]

@hotbecky880707 - I came here to type "I identify safe edible mushrooms not by their anatomy or appearance but, rather, EXCLUSIVELY by habitat: if they're close to bundles of carrots and radishes with price-tags on them, near a cabbage-head wrapped in cellophane, not far from a neatly arranged pyramidal stack of green bell-peppers, they're good. Also if the mushrooms' natural habitat is the inside of a sealed 'tin' (actually steel) can, it's safe". But you beat me to it.

[@ThePickledsoul]

I just hope someone doesn't get the idea to toss wild mushrooms into the pile

[@skrubknight884]

its white and brown generic looking mushrooms that should be avoided while foraging for novices, but there are lots of easily recognizable species too. Chicken of the Woods has no lookalikes for example, and all you have to do to distinguish a Morel from a False Morel is slice it down the middle.

[@cloudthief8918]

tbf it's pretty easy to avoid these.

[@KnightsofGaming2016]

Shout out to our ancestors who ate all kinds of mushroom to document which ones are safe to eat and which ones we should avoid at all costs 🗣️

[@GooogleGoglee]

LoL

[@simonkoeman3310]

They weren't thinking about that, they were just hungry

[@Barryblusher]

I respect the first person to eat a mushroom…

[@nerfgunner2327]

@@simonkoeman3310 what do you mean? Humans didnt figure out over hundreds of years whats safe to eat? They didnt need to actively “document” to pass down the knowledge. Dunno what youre thinking ?

[@Iarahatx]

@@nerfgunner2327he is joking, jeez, ppl don’t have humour these days

[@hattok]

Death caps don't leave 'mushroom' for error!

[@EmperorOfEternalLame]

That was terrible. Please take my upvote.

[@viktor7712]

😂😂

[@rainbowblade9847]

Take my like!

[@brandonchen4202]

I bet that joke killed it

[@TonyTylerDraws]

Last thing I’d say as it kills me 😅

[@Tudsamfa]

As someone with death caps growing in my garden, I really didn't get why anyone would pick them: puffballs aren't tasty enough to actively seek out, straw mushrooms aren't found in Europe, and while you can also confuse them for wild champignon... you can just buy those. Really, not worth the risk for anyone that knows. Then I went to install a Wi-Fi router in a refugee camp, saw a multilanguage poster warning of death caps, and understood.

[@silentsongbird7046]

For real. There’s so many better mushrooms and they’re much more distinguishable than most Amanitas. Morels, lion’s mane, and chanterelles are perfect to seek out because they’re easily recognizable and identifiable and have few poisonous lookalikes, at least in my experience.

[@scivolanto]

Honestly, confusing death caps with puffballs means one has no idea what they are doing. They are very different to anyone who REALLY knows about mushrooms.

[@nightdrivenen7909]

@@scivolanto Beginning foragers or those who are on the brink of starvation do not have much choice if they can only recognize the basic image in their head and go "Close enough" that their brain will MAKE them take that mushroom. As for the other person, not everyone wants to buy - some people are looking for ways to save money in a more dire economy. The more you can save, the better. That is why they will go out - even into their own garden - and pick the mushrooms they see locally growing. Ignorance will do a lot harm.

[@crayx48]

Wild Champignons taste MUUUCH better than the shop ones and I personally find puffballs' taste fantastic. There are easy ways to rule out death caps, tho.

[@RedTail1-1]

No one replying even read the entire comment and all missed the whole point of it...

[@goldensunrayspone]

when in doubt, toss it out and print print print! if you have any mushrooms that you aren't quite sure of, cut the cap off and place it on a damp papertowel to get a sporeprint, those are much more distinguishable than the mere outward appearance. deathcaps have a light or even white sporeprint, where most edible mushrooms are going to have a darker sporeprint

[@dtrapido]

This video must have shown photos/videos of the actual mushroom, to help people recognize it.

[@Teckstudio]

That's what I thought also!

[@hootsiferclawthorne8708]

Or at least tell them how to distinguish them from other mushrooms

[@GreedoGangrene]

They possibility omitted actual photos of death caps for liability reasons.

[@pierrecurie]

@@GreedoGangrene What liability? They don't have to claim _every_ death cap looks _exactly_ like

[@lonestarr1490]

Actually, when it comes to identifying mushrooms (schematic) drawings are often more helpful than photos, as it is easier to point out distinctive features, which can vary in actual specimen. They could have pointed out those distinctive features, though.

[@hatimmustafa7179]

This is why I only forage mushrooms from a can.

[@diamondcascadeblackspring7260]

Ah... a master hunter 😅❤❤

[@CaptivatingAnecdote]

@@diamondcascadeblackspring7260 * Gatherer

[@MaekarManastorm]

Dork

[@AweAwo-c3v]

Using picture of the grim reaper with a cap is good analogy for toxic mushrom

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

Not what an analogy is

[@cuddlebugs3147]

1:12 "This girl is already dead, she just doesn't know it yet" 🥕🐡🐡

[@CounterfeitMind]

💀

[@PsychologyOfUnplugged]

I appreciate how you combine scientific research with practical experiences. It’s incredibly enlightening

[@aarongrooves]

The sound design and music in this episode! Outstanding!! *Chef's kiss*

[@doodprinny2338]

5:15 - The Joelcap, Scientific - Vargskelethor

[@dharmrajmaurya715]

The piece of music is mesmerizing.

[@slaterstimson]

It sounds like this kills you fairly slowly… certainly not “before you know what’s happening”

[@skrubknight884]

well, it is a slow and painful death, its also a case of the famous "you are already dead" quote, because if you wait too long to seek treatment until its really getting bad for you, there is no reliable cure or treatment and your best outcome is permanent severe liver damage or getting put on the liver transplant list. Most people at that stage just die though. This is one of those poisonings where a full recovery is not possible unless you immediately recognize you ate a deadly shroom and go get your stomach pumped right away.

[@ThrillSeeker3524]

"Ohhhh, you look like a fun guy."

[@-_Nuke_-]

Like always the animation and sound design are top notch!

[@opwave79]

I literally cooked and ate mushroom risotto yesterday. Thanks guys!

[@malchalati]

Well we can assume you’re alive and well.

[@uvotmin]

same and I ate the leftovers today 😭😭 and then thay said that symptoms take days to show up 💀

[@SamButler22]

There doesn't have to be an advantage, just not a disadvantage

[@frogglen6350]

in god of war ragnarok, you can see little blue mushroom creatures that are around the dwarves house. Weird detail because the game never brings them up

[@Carlos-bz5oo]

It's also odd of you to bring that up

[@parasoraaa]

@@Carlos-bz5ooyeah like bro is so random!

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

So?

[@fortune_roses]

More *mysterious historical content* such as this please ♡ so fitting for Halloween

[@awesomehpt8938]

Every mushroom is edible at least once

[@MultiMaker_Studios]

It feels weird being this early to a TED-Ed video

[@legitbeans9078]

I bust early every time

[@liabottino1361]

Yep

[@just-apt]

i have no idea what to reply

[@Basket_The_Goblin]

It kinda does 😅

[@Animaxv9]

Strangely relatable

[@Leomerya12]

I love the 90s melodrama music.

[@emilka2033]

For anyone wondering, a distinguishing feature of the family Amanitaceae - which contains mushrooms like the death cap, destroying angel, and fly agaric - is the "cup-like sac" as described around 1:07 in the video. This egg-like sac that it grows out of is technically called the volva and can be partially or fully buried in the ground. This is why it's important to remove the entire fruiting body of mushroom out of the ground to properly identify it. If there is a volva, it is generally not something to eat. It is a common myth that mushrooms should be cut at the stem when foraging to preserve their numbers - it makes no difference because the majority of the organism that bears these mushroom "fruits" actually lives as a mycelium in the ground or in another organism, dead or alive, like a tree for example.

[@katharina...]

There are many edible and delicious Amanitas, notably all Caesareae and Vaginatae, so saying that "if there's a volva, it is definitely not something to eat", is completely inaccurate.

[@emilka2033]

@@katharina... yes, should say "generally" not "definitely"

[@katharina...]

@@emilka2033 Your advice is definitely good for inexperienced mushroom hunters. Someone who is only beginning to learn about Amanitas, should probably leave all of them alone for the time being 👍

[@emilka2033]

@katharina... yes, better to stay away from Amanitas altogether as a newbie. Though honestly, inexperienced foragers should always check with an experienced shroomer before eating anything. There is no room for error with mushrooms.

[@katharina...]

@@emilka2033 I completely agree 👍

[@brielle0925]

Woah the animation is so cool

[@macmedia1000]

You show and tell info fantastically and i hope you do again with another History vs.

[@nipolitayeng]

As a simple highschool student ,Ted Ed has helped me and millions understand so much about the world and making it more interesting than it already was.

[@huonghayley]

This is my favourite style of animation

[@kffacxfA7G4]

Not sure if this is true, but I once read that the reason some mushrooms are toxic is sort of random. It's because of the nutrients they consume, and the toxins they produce are just a byproduct of whatever they use to grow. Also, the mushroom is pretty much just a fruit of the organism. Picking mushrooms will not hurt the huge network of mycelium underground, just as picking an apple will not harm the apple tree.

[@Valkyrinator]

apparently they go well in a beef wellington

[@mecahhannah]

Awesome as always thanks ❤

[@ViktoriyaBaytser]

Great video!

[@Janizzary]

2:49 - Kind of annoying that they didn't offer any hypotheses as to why.

[@Sum_equals_1]

It's a "why not?" instance

[@riamus7258]

Why is a video about poisonous mushrooms making me hungry for mushrooms?

[@thesusboy9]

"Uh, Tom, I think that's a deathcap we just ate Tom" Jerry's last word

[@adhoc2199]

A forager had a mushroom feast. This is what happened to her liver.

[@FungusMcChungus]

A fellow Chubbyemu fan, I see

[@feynstein1004]

Callback to the man injecting mushroom soup into his bloodstream

[@Echo81Rumple83]

I don't even like mushrooms, so I'm safe from getting poisoned by them.

[@oldbean4347]

Could you maybe show real life photos of the death caps at the end of the video? Maybe from many different angles?

[@Sum_equals_1]

Probably, but it's not the point. the video is supposed to inform us about a very dangerous species, not part of a campaign to mitigate it's victims. It's supposed to be interesting and stylish, as those videos usually are. You can probably search if it spikes your interest since there's no problem to accessing the web

[@mattpelofske4632]

I saw this guy give a lecture at the Telluride mushroom festival in 2011

[@Passion84GodAlways]

Goodness gracious! 🙏🏾

[@MaekarManastorm]

Need to go find some of these

[@ShawnMamuaja]

Imma try this one

[@عبدالعزيزألأزرق-و5ي]

Phenomenal animation 🩵🖤

[@foreign_physics8490]

Hey Ted Ed, Just a request, please do a video covering the legacy of the TATAs.

[@adamk.7177]

I'm pretty sure me and my best friend ate and vomited some of these out as 15 year olds right before we played Halo 3 for the first time after it came out on the Xbox 360

[@BlackWater_49]

The only one I'm eating is the one with a yellow sponge at the underside of the cap that turns blue when pressed or otherwise damaged. That sounds like it should be highly toxic but is actually edible and so distinctive that you can't mistake it for anything else...

[@christophern762]

Thanks for the tip

[@nicholasbizier9234]

One of these literally grew in my backyard and we had to keep my dog on a leash to go to the bathroom

[@katharina...]

Why didn't you just remove the mushrooms?

[@skrubknight884]

@@katharina... no real point in the long run tbh. the actual fungus is underground and connected to the trees, its going to keep sending up mushrooms for reproduction after rainy periods for as long as the trees are alive and well. They are usually short lived as well, so its better to try and train dogs and kids to not eat this stuff, because mushrooms can literally pop up overnight and you likely won't notice.

[@heyskipj]

Mary Ann warned us on Gilligan's Island.

[@PerroDelCielo]

Thanks great info, just need to know how they look like..

[@kellyborces4204]

On the chanel "Deep Look" you can see the mushroom !

[@will-i-am-not]

It takes 6 to 24 hours for symptoms to appear, and it can be days before death takes place. Yes you can take a few, but it still is not a sudden death.

[@drikdage1849]

Thanks ed

[@Lana-ie5qy]

I love watching these while I eat

[@aqilves]

the beginning quote tho!

[@dont1477]

24 hr without ted ed feels like whole day

[@brainonfire7]

On my way to get a couple of these

[@gailaltschwager7377]

Wow! Thank you!

[@hummingbir6]

For some reason, my digestive system does not digest mushrooms. They enter and out recognizable.

[@BenjaminIMeszaros]

Sounds like a decent way to go!

[@CoretanKecil]

Can't imagine if you're at campsite to survive, then no food is available, then you pick it up for dinner. 😮😮

[@erikziak1249]

I see them regularly when foraging for mushrooms. I do not even touch them. Since I only pick mushrooms of the Boletus genus, my biggest possible mistake is to pick the bitter bolete. I never took this type home, it can easily be identified by closer inspection once picked and examined properly.

[@Khanhphuong-hr15]

Very good🎉

[@MrKleinIma]

The animation is very cool

[@cheriankalayil2362]

Bruh New phobias emerging each day I guess

[@axtrifonov]

You forgot to mention that death cap, unlike almost all other toxic mushrooms, is tasty.

[@Sum_equals_1]

Yeah! I ate some a few days didn't know they were poisonous until- **thud**

[@vnlover253]

I love the animation

[@DwightStJohn-t7y]

on the wet west coast in Canada we have an mushroom endemic in most LAWNS: White Widow. It has TWO kinds of respiratory inhibiting weapons at it's disposal. It's unassuming, a pencil stalk with a sharp white cap. The name comes from someone making mushroom chow mein: no thanks, dear, I'm not hungry. you eat it all. White Widow. There's no cure.

[@Blue5wirl]

A quick trip to wikipedia suggests that mushrooms are 23x more deadly to humans than sharks. Someone call Steven Spielberg, I have a script I would like to pitch him.

[@michealwestfall8544]

They don't have test strips for death caps?

[@paologat]

When I was a teenager, my parents went foraging and found some delicious lepiota, which we cooked and ate. The next morning my mom saw a picture of a death cap, freaked out thinking we might have eaten one, and rushed us all to the hospital - where emergency bloodwork revealed we had indeed eaten lepiota. The next day my dad went foraging by himself and returned late at night - with a real death cap, so that we would learn the difference.

[@sandradermark8463]

Charles VI of Austria (Habsburg) was also killed by this ominous fungus

[@mr.v3061]

A few weeks ago a neighbour of mine asked if we also had poisonous mushrooms in our garden. I said: "no, we don't" Then she accidentally found one and showed it to me. She cracked it open, smelled it and said: "it smells good" Then she asked: "Want to smell it?" .... I said: "No, thank you"

[@stevenarseneault1972]

Aaaaand.....no visual or descriptive details on what Death caps look like. Carefull out there. Good luck.

[@Spider-r6d]

0:48 is it just me or does this sound like the sound when you complete a quest in Path of Titans

[@zoeynewark9774]

"This mushroom will kill you before you know what's happening." Me: "Cloud Mushroom, right?" "Death Cap Mushroom." Me: "My disappointment is immeasurable. My life is ruined."

[@maxhill9254]

thx

[@sailordarty9032]

I remember reading somewhere that if you die eating Deathcaps, the mortician can pour your liver out of your body like soup.

[@skrubknight884]

not far off honestly. Liver cells and kidneys die via necrosis, so their membranes literally pop and the stuff inside the cells spills out.

[@secondbeamship]

This is why you don’t eat random things you find off the forest floor.

[@jacplac97]

Rule of a thumb for unexperienced foragers. Don't pick anything that has lamella under the cap. And if you really wanna score that prized Parasol mushroom, avoid picking young, closed shrooms (implying you're European). That's the only way you can mistake the two.

[@oldcowbb]

beautiful music

[@ThrillSeeker3524]

"I think you've been eating the wrong kind of mushrooms, Dale."

[@DEzChEzBunz451]

Not gonna lie, this music actually made what looks like a green spiky bouncy ball seem scary.

[@Square_Peg]

I find it super easy to avoid these mushrooms, I just buy mushrooms in cans from the store

[@chavamara]

Could the amatoxin have developed in these mushrooms by accident? Maybe they weren't developed for a specific reason, they just were created as a by-product, and there was never any real pressure for them to be weeded out?

[@fenhuang2528]

this sounds scarey

[@genericname2747]

What a wonderful video to watch while I snack on random mushr

[@aaryamangupta]

Thank God I don't leave mushroom in my diet for fungi

[@noemibaudelaire7151]

i thought its medusoid mycelium, from a series of unfortunate events😅

[@Yusso]

"will kill you before you know what's happening" .. gets sick, shows symptoms and goes to hospital to be healed.

[@skrubknight884]

if you wait until major symptoms start, its often too late to be healed. Death Caps tend to first show very mild symptoms several hours after that can easily be mistaken for just stomach upset, the victim improves shortly after, and then almost a day later the real symptoms start to show. At that point there is no antidote or cure because the majority of the toxins have bound themselves to your liver and kidneys and they are starting to die. IV can try to mitigate and filter out the stragglers, but at this point most victims die or are going to need a liver transplant

[@Hallows4]

I wonder if this was one of the species that King Mithridates of Pontus used to make himself immune to poison. Maybe micro doses wouldn’t be fatal.

[@HyperHorizonic]

This is why don't pick up some random mushrooms that look edible but poisonous

[@AverageSsb2Player]

Who knew mushrooms could be such a deadly chemical weapon?

[@Chad-g4h]

Mushrooms are like snakes, if you don't know the species, always assume they are toxic.

[@jar..]

I was almost poisoned by my own mistake by toxicity of lemon and copper

[@Foatizenknechtl]

Where do i find these? Asking for a friend 😂

[@Asmodis4]

everywhere except the middle east wich is a problem in their own with immigrants from syria.

[@螺鈿紫檀五弦琵琶-r7q]

3:58 Why did Japan vanish?

[@isaacthedestroyerofstuped7676]

Didn't you watch Godzilla Minus One?

[@SuperDuperSigmaMale]

Never eating a mushroom meal from anyone but me or my grandma.

[@Matthew.Morycinski]

Foraging for mushrooms is not a habit, custom or pastime popular in North America. So do yourself a favour and don't bother, unless you are willing to put in the necessary effort to learn what to pick and what to leave on the ground, and how to tell one from the other with 100% certainty. In my native Poland, we most certainly go out and forage for pleasure, and many even do it for profit. Those who do are very familiar with common edible species like Boletus Edulis (Prawdziwek), Leccinum Scabrum (Koźlak), or Lactarius Deliciosus (Rydz.) We pick them, fry them, dry them, pickle them. But visitors to unfamiliar countries, and refugees, need to beware. There was recently a lethal poisoning with Amanita Phalloides of an Afghan refugee child in Poland. If you are on unfamiliar territory, then going by guess, good looks, and luck, may indeed be very dangerous to you and your family.

[@skrubknight884]

its quite popular out in the pacific northwest where there are abundant mushrooms. Just avoid plain looking white or brown species and stick to ones with very easy and unique features. Can't mistake chicken of the woods and its very hard to mistake a Morel.

[@Matthew.Morycinski]

@@skrubknight884 I know. And there is a very nice community of mushroom pickers here in Vancouver, organizing field trips and lectures. Basically, "know what you are doing" applies, as always.

[@Tubeytime]

You can't spell 'Death Cap' without death!

[@durganair2956]

Good video! Love it