wildanimals4kids.blogspot.com - Octopus

 

NATURAL WORLD : WILD ANIMAL

OCTOPUS

Eight long arms and round bulging eyes in a soft round body- that's enough to make it look like a monster! But this creature of the deep seas, combs the ocean floor and rarely ever surfaces to the top. It's typical way of attack is to swoop down on its crabs, lobsters and shrimps and swamp it with its tentacles while it pulls the prey in with its mouth. Look at the round button like suckers along its tentacles. They help it to scoop up food. It eats mainly crabs, shrimps and other animals with shells.

Tell me O Octopus, I begs

Is those things arms, or is those things legs? 
I marvel at thee Octopus
If I were thou, I'd call me us

- Ogden Nash

Are you my sweetheart?

Octopuses have not one but three hearts and one of them stops working when they swim. Three hearts also allow them to have blood that is blue because of copper. This helps them to have more oxygen when they are deep in the ocean.

Are you a genius?

With nine brains, it is a genius! Octopuses have one central brain and one mini brain for each of its eight arms. Each arm can work independently and dive into hidden places for food. Scientists found that octopuses can use tools. E,g. they collect and pile up things like shells, stones and bottle caps to build dens and shields. Only intelligent animals like apes and dolphins can do this.

Defense strategy

Camouflage - to hide in plain sight by changing the colours of its body to match the surroundings is how they avoid being seen by predators like sharks, eels, etc.

Slipping through thin cracks is easy for this animal with its soft slimy body. As it is  fast swimmer, it quickly squeezes itself through tiny spaces and gets away. 

When an octopus is attacked, it sprays out a dark blue ink which can irritate the predators eyes, allowing the octopus to escape.

In case a predator bites off an arm, it can grow it back. It can also bite with its sharp beak like mouth.

Reproduction

Male octopuses die after they deposit the sperm in the tube like structure of the female. The female then lays around 400,000 eggs and guards them with her life. She lays them under rocks or in holes and keeps blowing water over them to keep them clean and safe from predators. During this time, does not and her body slowly becomes weaker as she finally dies after the babies hatch. Baby octopods swim on the surface and swim away as they grow bigger.

OCTOPUS

1.   An octopus is a sea animal with eight arms.

2.  It has a soft body that can squeeze through holes.

3.  It eats crabs and shrimps on the ocean floor.

4.  If an arm breaks off, it will grow back.

5.  It throws blue ink to stun predators.

Public Speaking

Note for educators and parents : Describe and explain with the help of information given on this page. Help the child memorize these lines and speak in front of a camera with actions.  Young Learners may post their videos and comments here.

Those interested may send their write-up on an animal not mentioned here. (300 words max. and 3 images). Name of the contributor will be mentioned.

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