Yesterday I posted about the black-tailed prairie dog, the first of three animals I have been assigned for a "mock tour" this coming Friday. The second animal, the giant Pacific octopus, is the subject of today's piece. Hope you like it!
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Giant Pacific octopus |
Has anyone ever heard of Harry Houdini? Why was he famous? Harry Houdini was a man who lived about 100 years ago and he was an “Escape Artist”. People used to pay to see him get out of very tight spots seemingly like magic. But if Harry Houdini had been an octopus, it might not have seemed so magical!
This is a giant Pacific octopus. It is an invertebrate; does everyone know what that means? Because it has no bony skeleton or backbone it can squeeze its body through unbelievably small holes; here is something to look at we call an “Octopus Escape Route”—please pass it around. The octopus in this tank can fit through that hole in the plastic if it really needed to! Underneath the octopus where all 8 arms meet you will find its mouth. Inside that mouth is the octopus’ beak, shaped a bit like a parrot’s beak, which is made of keratin—the same substance your fingernails are made out of. That is the hardest part of the octopus’ whole body, so it can squeeze through any opening larger than its beak. Now, I mentioned the octopus’ arms: that’s what they are called, not legs or tentacles. Each arm has about 280 suckers in two rows and these contain chemical receptors which the octopus uses for touch and taste.
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Just chillin' on the ocean floor |
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Amazing camouflage |
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Siphon is on the left; mouth and receding beak at right |
Octopuses [(not “octopi”; the root of their name is Greek and the “proper” plural would be “octopodes”, but we don’t use it)] are also very intelligent, which is why you can see toys in this tank. They can work out mazes, they have excellent long-term memory and recollection skills and they can figure out how to get into jars with the lids screwed on tightly. Because they spend much of their time alone in one place they have a chance to play or work out puzzles on their own. This intelligence is another defense mechanism: it allows them the chance to outwit many of their more simple-minded predators.
The giant Pacific octopus does not appear to be endangered right now; however, if we continue to pollute the oceans that could change down the road. Ironically, though, some of the objects humans have polluted the oceans with—such as barrels, tires or even shipwrecks—provide homes and hiding places for the octopus once they have settled onto the ocean floor.
The last two animals we have visited live on land and in the ocean. The next animal also has a beak but prefers to spend its time in the air or high above the ground in a tree.
And off we go to the spectacled owl....tomorrow's subject!
Incidentally, there is a pretty cool video of an octopus' beak and siphon at the Bio Geo Nerd blogsite. Check it out if you get a chance—the video is very near the bottom of the page but some of the pictures are pretty awesome as well.
And off we go to the spectacled owl....tomorrow's subject!
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