On October 8th, World Octopus Day celebrates one of the earth’s oldest creatures. The animal is best known for its eight legs and ink-squirting abilities. However, there is so much more to know about this fantastic creature.
Octopus fossils date back over 300 million years. This means that the octopus is older than the dinosaur! Here are some other cool facts about these cephalopods:
- 300 species of octopuses
- 500 million neurons in their brains and arms
- Octopuses come in all colors, shapes, and sizes
- A rare type of octopus has tentacles that glow in the dark
- Some octopuses live in shallow waters while others live 2.6 miles below the surface of the ocean
- The largest octopus on record weighed 156 pounds
- Their mantle changes color so that it blends into its surroundings
- An octopus can swim nearly 25 miles per hour for short distances
- They mainly eat mollusks, crustaceans, and even smaller species of octopus
- Some species of octopus lives in every ocean in the world and along every coast of the U.S.
- The female octopus lays up to 400,000 eggs
- Large octopus only live up to 5 years
Many people are enamored by the octopus and for a good reason. There is simply no other creature on earth, quite like the octopus. Some consider them the most intelligent being on the planet.
Besides being super smart, the octopus is likened to Houdini. Since the octopus doesn’t have an internal skeleton or a protective shell, it squeezes through narrow openings. Lacking any bone structure, an octopus has even been known to escape from a jar with a closed lid. They indeed are unique and unusual animals!
