As the name suggests, World Octopus Day celebrates one of the most distinctive creatures living on the planet today; the octopus. Octopuses are worthy of appreciation for a number of reasons. First of all, they are one of earth’s great survivors. Indeed, despite their relatively short life span, octopus fossils date back more than 300 million years, meaning that they pre-date even dinosaurs. They are also highly intelligent, with around 500 million neurons located in their brains and arms, allowing them to bypass their insticts, learn lessons and solve problems. In addition, they are visually stunning, coming in various different colours and shapes, while the Giant Pacific Octopus is able to grow to weigh more than 600 pounds!
Fascinating creatures. This cute little fellow found in Australian waters will kill you with one bite. It is only the size of a golf ball, but still carries enough poison to kill 26 humans.
