Coconut Octopus
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Octopus Intelligence: How Do You Measure the IQ of an Octopus?

Frequently Asked Questions, Octopus

From unfastening lids to slipping through drainpipes, octopuses demonstrate remarkable problem-solving both in labs and in the wild. In this article, Dr. Alex Schnell, comparative animal psychologist and host of National Geographic’s Secrets of the Octopus, explores four key pillars of intelligence: behavioral flexibility, imagination, reasoning, and memory/foresight. By the end, you might just wonder…

Blue Lined Octopus Mating Explained: Why Males Inject Venom During Sex
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Blue Lined Octopus Mating Explained: Why Males Inject Venom During Sex

Breaking News, Octopus, Octopus Anatomy

Meet the blue lined octopus (Hapalochlaena fasciata), a tiny creature whose mating rituals read like a survival thriller. Mating is risky business for many octopuses, but male blue-lined octopuses take it to the next level by injecting their partners with a paralyzing venom to avoid becoming lunch. In this post, we’re exploring the blue-lined octopus’s…

Octopus Expert Reacts to Viral Octopus Riding a Shark (and More)
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Octopus Expert Reacts to Viral Octopus Riding a Shark (and More)

Breaking News, Octopus, Octopus Pop Culture

🚨🐙 Stage 8 Clinger Alert! From high-stakes shark rodeos to choking out dolphins, octopus expert and OctoNation founder Warren Carlyle breaks down the clingy tactics that keep these brains-with-suction-cups off the menu (sometimes 😅). Caught on Camera: Octopus Riding a Shark By now, you’ve probably seen the viral video: A giant orange Māori octopus clinging…

Octopus Can Edit Their RNA – Here’s How
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Octopus Can Edit Their RNA – Here’s How

Guest Bloggers, Octopus Anatomy

Ever wonder why people label octopuses as “aliens“? It’s not because they hitched a ride on a meteor from outer space. Nope, these eight-armed geniuses earned their intergalactic reputation by doing something no other Earthling does quite like them: rewriting their own genetic instructions. RNA editing is a fascinating biological process employed by cephalopods (octopus,…

Octopus Teeth: The Tiny Chainsaw Inside an Octopus’ Mouth

Octopus Teeth: The Tiny Chainsaw Inside an Octopus’ Mouth

Octopus Anatomy

Did you know octopuses come equipped with their own built-in “chainsaw”? YUP! Octopus teeth—Mother Nature really outdid herself on this one! These eight-armed wonders and their legendary relatives (think snails, slugs, and squids) have one ribbon-like tongue loaded with microscopic teeth called a radula. In cephalopods (octopuses, cuttlefish, squid, and nautilus), this radula basically revs…