The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

[Sean Nash]

We will begin today's exploration of biological classification with a look at a rare and endangered species from the Pacific Northwest: the tree octopus. This is obviously one amazingly-adapted species.

Read the species overview, (open in another tab) and return here to report one "aha," or something you thought was interesting or amazing, and one concern you had. Also, read the postings of your classmates and respond where appropriate.




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[Lacie Thompson]

Before I was even through half of the reading I was just amazed! I never knew that octopus' could be out of water. I thought they had to be in the ocean at all times, not just during their mating season and early life. How can that be?! Another thing that was really interesting to me was that they had the ability to change colors according to their mood or location. It's amazing the ability certain species have. And for their reproductive span they KIND of remind me of sea turtles. Sea turtles will go into the ocean and mate then they will exit the water to lay their eggs. The octopus will go into the ocean mate and stay there until their eggs hatch and then leave. So maybe not exactly but somewhat. This creature is very unique, so I hope that it will not become extinct. I would love to see it!

Well whoops I never knew this was a joke. Got me on this one.

[kristen sheehan]

Hey don't feel bad! He got me too girly! It's okay.

[Chris Michaels]

Leave it up to Nash to be the April Fools prankster, never trust them.

Look at this, it pays to research

The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus was an internet hoax created in 1998 by Lyle Zapato.[1] This fictitious endangered species of cephalopod was given the Latin name "Octopus paxarbolis" (which means, roughly, "Pacific tree octopus"). It was purported to be able to live both on land and in water, and was said to live in the Olympic National Forest and nearby rivers, spawning in water where eggs are laid. Its major predator was said to be the Sasquatch.
The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus website is among a number of sites commonly used in Internet literacy classes in schools, although it was not created for that purpose. Despite the falsehoods shown on the site, such as its support by "GreenPeas.org," the mentioning of other hoax species such as the Rock Nest Monster, the mountain walrus,[2] and its affiliation with People for the Ethical Treatment of Pumpkins (P.E.T.PU.) (mixed with links to pages about real species and organizations), 24 of 25 students involved in one well-publicized test believed the content.[3][4]

This was found here

[Abby Lucas]

What made you question the site/information?

[Chris Michaels]

what made me question it was the Sasquatch talk. And the marches that were held were not very realistic.

[Chris Michaels]

I'm not sure but i don't believe that the native people would go decorate the trees with lights in the middle of the rain-forest. Water and Electricity don't mix.

[Tori Scott]

haha:) well maybe the natives came up with a way to mix christmas lights and water!!
jk... but it could happen lol

[Rachel Huntsman]

Don't forget to check for octopuses in your Christmas trees before you dispose of them!

This was posted below the picture of the octopus in the Christmas tree:
Sometimes tree octopuses hitch a ride in Christmas trees harvested from farms on the Olympic Peninsula. When its tree is being jostled violently, a tree octopus will hunker down deep inside the branches near the trunk and camouflage itself to look like bark. This is a defensive mechanism to protect it from wind storms and sasquatch trying to shake octopuses to the ground. They may stay hidden like this for days after a particularly violent shaking, such as experienced by Christmas trees when they are chopped down and transported.

Many octopuses have a natural instinct to decorate their lairs with attractive baubles, and O. paxarbolis is no exception. When it finally comes out of hiding and explores its tree, finding it covered in shiny ornaments and sparkly lights, it will become so mesmerized by the baublely abundance that it'll hardly notice that its tree is sitting in some human's living room.

Scandinavian immigrants considered it good luck to find a tree octopus in their Christmas tree. Granted, that's because they like to eat them. But for us more enlightened cephalopodophiles, we can consider it a sign of good luck that the species hasn't yet gone extinct.

And to keep it that way, please remember to remove any octopuses you find before disposing of your Christmas tree. They can be put in a shoe box -- with a bit of moist branch to make them feel comfortable and some tinsel to keep them distracted -- and taken to your nearest chapter of the Friends of the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus for reintroduction into the wild.

[Erin McAndrews]

This would be pretty amazing... if it were REAL! This would actually scare me a little if I knew there could be an octopus living in the trees.
Haha!! April Fools! Nice oneeee.

[Abby Lucas]

Loooove the picture!

[Lacie Thompson]

Yeah those don't look fake or anything! I can't believe I fell for this

[kristen sheehan]

This octopus looks like a stuffed animal. It probably is. Those tricksters!