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Three Pound Baby Giant Pacific Octopus will Soon Test Smithsonian's National Zoo Personnel
Washington, DC - At a mere three pounds, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s new giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) doesn’t appear to have earned its name. Yet not only will it grow to be more than 13 times its current size over the next year, it will also play a big role in teaching researchers and recruiting fans. “The new octopus will help us continue to excite people about invertebrates, which make up more than 95 percent of the animal kingdom,” said Alan Peters, the Zoo’s curator of invertebrates. “The giant Pacific octopus is the ‘giant panda’ of invertebrates—it may get the most attention, but we can use it to lure visitors into a world of incredible insects, spiders, corals and so much more.” Giant Pacific octopuses emerge from eggs only a little larger than a grain of rice, but as adults can weigh hundreds of pounds in the wild, with an arm span of up to 25 feet. The Zoo’s octopus, which arrived at the end of January and will be named in early March, appears to be male, Peters said. But at a mere 2 ½ years of age, it may take more time before the Zoo can confirm the animal’s gender. Octopuses are mollusks—related to squid, cuttlefish and nautiluses—and can change their color and texture instantly with a signal from their brains. Scientists have also discovered that octopuses are natural explorers. The National Zoo will use its octopus to learn about such behavior by introducing enrichment objects and observing whether the octopus becomes more active as a result. Although the new octopus is the only one currently at the National Zoo, Peters and his team have conducted similar research on at least six of the Zoo’s past octopuses. “For an invertebrate, the octopus is very responsive,” Peters said. “We have a chance to look at a new octopus that has not yet experienced the enrichment that we provide. Once we do introduce those objects, we’ll be able to add to our dataset and increase the strength of our conclusions.” Follow the octopus’ growth spurt and enrichment activities by watching on the octopus cam or visiting the National Zoo’s Invertebrate Exhibit. Photo credit: Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian’s National Zoo Photo: Large male giant Pacific octopuses in the wild can have an arm span of up to 25 feet. To view Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-3223-Smithsonian's_National_Zoo |
By Lindsay Renick Mayer
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Unusual to have three snow leopard cubs
Congratulations to ABQ BioPark and the proud cat parents on the birth of three snow leopard cubs. That's fantastic news and we look forward to these three playing an important role in snow leopard survival breeding and also helping educate people about their endangered cousins in the wild.
Snow leopards live in some of the most extreme environments on earth - in high altitudes and freezing temperatures. If we don't do a lot of work with communities and governments in snow leopards 12 range countries, these beautiful cats may be extinct in the wild in our life time.
Sibylle Noras
Founder and Publisher
“Saving Snow Leopards” website. See how conservationists and zoos are working to help these rare and elusive cats avoid extinction.
http://www.snowleopardblog.com
Love penguin fluffballs.
I especially liked if you go to the zoo's homepage and click on the info about naming the baby, the winner says she'd like to be able to tell her dad that a penguin was named after him for his birthday. Adorable!
If you have any interest in reading a new blog, featuring conservation of adorable animals and their habitats, please check out my website...
Conservation:Cute
http://conservationcute.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
World Oceans Day
For more information about World Oceans Day and a list of other events in your area you can visit www.WorldOceansDay.org
Elephants
Asome news on the new baby! I agree with everyone here on the fact that animals should not be in captivation. If you want to check out a really cool place in Thailand where you can care for elephants check out http://www.elephantstay.com this place is a sanctuary for retired working elephants, it's an amazing place and they do so much good for the animals who live there. I went a few months ago and it was amazing.
Kimberly Juchnowski
Publisher, http://www.tikikiki.com
zoo animal diet's
It's ridiculous to try extrapolate zoo animals diet to human beings, and it flies in the face of all science of the last 30 years that looked into nutrition and health research. Maybe Rudy Socha was being sarcastic? I hope so.
response to starseed
I fully agree with you when it comes to the captivity of orcas. These animals live considerably shorter, unhealthier lives than they normally would have in the wild. I am disgusted by what I have seen at Sea World. They claim to be trying to educate people on the animals when really it is all nothing but a circus with the animals being made to perform to attract customers. I am a little more on the fence however when it comes to some other species of dolphins, such as the ones they keep at Vancouver Aquarium. While I do not support the capture of wild dolphins, I do recognize the fact that there are species that actually live longer and perhaps healthier lives in captivity than in the wild. One of the neat things at the Vancouver Aquarium is that none of the dolphins were captured for the purpose of entertainment: they were all animals that were rescued after getting caught and injured in fishing nets and are unable to return to the wild due to their injuries. I have seen the shows and the aquarium are truly focused more on educating visitors than trying to entertain them at the animals' expense.
Christian's Award
I know that Christian is dedicated to her aquarium job and to the rehab of sea turtles. I am proud of her.
Dry Tortugas National Park
The seashore, our accredited Summer Learning Adventure Camps merge scientific exploration Dry Tortugas National Park with hands-on fun and learning. Campers investigate marine habitats, create ocean art projects, learn about careers in oceanography, and combine the science and sports of surfing and snorkeling, all while making new friends and memories.
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Don't support it anymore
I think we should move on from having dolphins in captivity now - we all know this isn't good for them.
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diabetes
pacaya samiria national reserve
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is a magical place. The flora, fauna, remoteness and beauty are exquisite. Another interesting aspect is how the indigenous people there live. To learn more and see photos taken by indigenous children in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, you can visit ninosdelaamazonia.org
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