August 27, 2005

The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is not officially on the endangered species lists, but it is at critically low levels for breeding requirements. Whereas in past decades sightings of the tree octopus were common among campers and outdoorsmen, these days you will be lucky if you see one. Something needs to be done, and I think you'll agree that more people need to be made aware of the plight of the tree octopus.

I have actually seen Australian Tree Octopi in the Snugglepot National Forest of Bollygum, Oliver's Landing, N.S.W., but these aren't in any danger of dwindling, and in the past they've actually been rather a pest, sometimes taking up residence in people's roofs.

posted by Chyren 18 years ago
  • Tree octopuses became prized by the fashion industry as ornamental decorations for hats, leading greedy trappers to wipe out whole populations to feed the vanity of the fashionable rich.
  • That was what killed off the Tasmanian Bunyip, too.
  • These things were introduced to Hawai'i, and now have over run most of the islands here. In season, at night, they're hella loud. They make this noise that's like half whistle, half bark. For two hours every night it's "CHARK CHARK CHARK CHHHHHHHARK!" It's hella annoying.
  • I smell vintage camel urine.
  • They cover the woodlands with octopoop!
  • Neon meat dreams of a wet octofish.
  • Just keep them out of my porn
  • pornoctopuss, stay 'way from my door!
  • The Xerces Society is a conservation group dedicated to the preservation of invertebrates, for anyone who has an interest in that area.
  • I, for one, welcome Jataya das and his invertebrate overlords to monkeyfilter.
  • Welcome new monkey! Hurray for the Xerces Society's emphasis on bee-friendly gardens!
  • Tree octopus is good eatin'. But only the tentacle tips. I just know PETA is on the warpath now
  • {Offstage, thunder] Third Witch: They shall be hoist on their own PETA-rd!
  • Probably due to the Drop Bears taking over the habitat.
  • I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and have always had a love of these rare and beautiful creatures. I saw one once - I was 12, duck hunting near Olympia with my uncle. It was crazy - you read about it in class, but nothing is as bizarre as actually seeing an octupus hanging out in a tree, completely still, occasionally dangling an arm down the trunk to grab some fungi. They're most prevalent right around the Puget Sound. I wish they were around Portland too, but if wishes were fishes... (or octopi)
  • ian would say: it's either octopedes (if you're really, really anal) or octopuses (if you're just plain anal). That's because octopus is of Greek, not Latin, etymology. *still misses virii*
  • What has tentacles, can change color, has large eyes, greenish-blue blood, three hearts, glows in the dark, and no spine -- and is not a Quantum Presbyterian from Rigel IV? uuuuuuuunnnhhhh....Squidranch?
  • So, Alnedra, can you check the OED for an entry on friendly tentacled ones we call octopussys?
  • Not OED, but will she do?
  • I just want to let you guys know... I spoke to Cthulhu last night and the elders assure me that when we take over y'all will be accorded the highest respect and will not be sacrificed. Just show them your monkeyfilter t shirt and you will be saved. Can't do too much for your loved ones, though. One t shirt per life spared. Sorry.
  • There's no need for plural octopus, because there's only one.
  • When I first learned about the Northwest Tree Octopus, I thought it was a hoax. Couldn't find authentification from National Geographic, et. al. If this is for real then I'm totally behind preservation efforts. However, I've had too many people say this is an internet hoax.
  • Guess I should have gone to snopes; I think I will.
  • Ok, so this is a joke. Everyone is so much smarter than me. Thank God I didn't make my daughter include this in her rain forest diorama. Jerks.
  • Ten tickles!
  • cynnbad: you will be lucky if you see one. (The extended part of my post would have been a dead giveaway to anyone familiar with Australian children's stories) ;)
  • My bitchy linguist opinion is that since we aren't speaking latin or greek, we should go with the english plural, octopuses or octopus. I don't think its odd to say "I see several octopus(es) over there", so it's fine by me. Becides, trying to intuit what language a loan word is from is often disastrous, as Alnedra pointed out. If you want to find the proper greek plural, do you also want to find the "proper" plurals of words like tundra, which was borrowed from Saami through a number of other languages. Assuming it was from south saami, its possible that the plural is tundrat, or maybe tundrak (I can't remember my south saami), and if you go with the north saami, duottar 'tundra' leads to duoddarat. ;P Other words, like Moose should also be treated with care, as the word comes from eastern abenaki, which is spoken around quebec. The word in the language is mos, and the plural is mosak, thus we english speakers should really be writing moosek or something if we want to be correct. I don't know about abenaki, but nevermind what happens in saami when the word is the object, or you're on the tundras. So yeah, lets just say tundras, octopuses, and moose/meese ;) English would be a different beast if we all freaked out and tried to treat words as their original languages do. Even linguists couldn't keep up.
  • Totally useless information that really has nothing to do with this thread: sharks are indeed vertebrates. To qualify as a vertebrate, you need only have a spinal column. No need for it to specifically be made of bone - cartilage counts.
  • Octopi sounds better than octopuses or octopedes.
  • Sometimes they're octopuces, depending on the mood. And of course, during flu season...
  • between the binyip and the goose I celebrate the octopoose whose long sharp tusks and feathered limbs enable him to claim victims
  • =bunyip
  • I spoke to Cthulhu last night and the elders assure me that when we take over y'all will be accorded the highest respect and will not be sacrificed. You can't fool us into having hope. We know the best we can hope for is to be eaten first.
  • octopuses or octopedes When an octo's face gets all over a muss. Do you get a wet cloth and wash his octopuse? Octos have eight legs, I've heard it said, Do they then have on each an octoped?
  • BlueHorse, these are deep waters.