Running head: THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TREE OCTOPUS

The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus Aurora Mendoza Azusa Pacific University

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TREE OCTOPUS

The Pacific Northwest tree Octopus is a rare species that is slowly becoming extinct. They are solitary creatures that mainly live in the tree tops of the temperate rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula on the west coast of North America (Zapato, 2012, par. 1). Skin adaptations have allowed these creatures to survive outside the water, and the moisture in the rainforest helps keep them from over drying, but they are also perfectly content with resting in water that puddles on the forest floor (Zapato, 2012). These creatures are a rare find, but the majority of the citings have been made on the Eastern side of the Olympic mountain range, where it is believed their main habitat is located. These cephalopods measure about 30-33 centimeters in length, from arm-tip to mantle tip, and mostly feed on insects, frogs, rodents, and birds eggs. They move by grabbing onto tree branches and pulling themselves in a locomotion form called tentaculation (Zapato, 2012). Although the tree octopus lives most of its life up in the trees, it returns to an aquatic environment to reproduce. The reproductive cycle of the tree octopus is still linked to its roots in the waters of the Puget Sound from where it is thought to have originated (Zapatos, 2012, Par. 5). Every Spring, the tree octopuses congregate in Hood Canal, their spawning grounds. This is the only real social time in a tree octopuss life, and they dedicate this time to finding a mate. Soon after the male octopus deposits his sperm in the female, he returns to his home in the tree tops of the Olympic National Forest. The female is then left alone to find a safe aquatic environment in which to deposit her eggs. The female will stay with her eggs, and protect them until they hatch. When the offspring finally hatch, they will spend their first month or so floating around in the Hood Canal before they come out of the water to spend their adult life in the trees (Zapatos, 2012).

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TREE OCTOPUS

The tree octopus has not officially made it to the Endangered Species List, but its numbers are so critically low for its breeding needs that it should be added to the list. The awful reasons for this situation include: decimation of habitat by logging and suburban encroachment; building of roads that cut off access to the water which it needs for spawning; predation by foreign species such as house cats; and booming populations of its natural predators, including the bald eagle and sasquatch (Zapatos, 2012, par. 6). A contributing factor to the relatively low numbers of tree octopuses also has to do with the history of tree octopus trade. During the early 20th century the fashion industry used tree octopuses as ornamental decorations for hats. Fortunately, this practice was outlawed, but not soon enough. A minor environmental change can mean disaster for the tree octopus since there are very few of them left (Zapatos, 2012). However, just because the tree octopus is in danger of extinction does not mean it has to become extinct. There many things we can do to try to save these creatures, but the main thing is to raise awareness. We need to spread the word to our friends, co-workers, and neighbors. We need to let everyone we know of the danger the tree octopus faces if we do not do something to about it. We need to write letters to our state representatives to let them know about our concerns, and tell them that we feel the tree octopus should be added to the Endangered Species List. We can also join and donate to organizations committed to conservation, such as Greenpeas (Zapatos, 2012, Par. 14). We all need to do our part to try to save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus.

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TREE OCTOPUS

References Zapatos, Lyle. (2012). Help save the endangered pacific northwest tree octopus from extinction, Retrieved from http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/