The amazing part is they get so smart but only live so briefly. The lifespan of the common Atlantic octopus is only a couple of years. The giant Pacific octopus is about four years. But they’ve been shown to demonstrate problem-solving, like figuring out how to unscrew the lid on a glass jar to get at a fish inside. They’ve also been shown to learn by observing.
What blows my mind when I’ve seen them while scuba diving is that they can change not just the color of their skin at will but also its texture. In a fraction of a second they go from smooth-skinned, useful for hiding among the rocks, to spiky-looking, so they can hide in the eel grass.
Without a doubt they’re the most fascinating critter I’ve ever seen in the wild.
[[The lifespan of the common Atlantic octopus is only a couple of years.]]
That’s only because they are heavy smokers
[[What blows my mind when I’ve seen them while scuba diving is that they can change not just the color of their skin at will but also its texture.]]
Pffff- that’s nothing, Bradley Manning went from being a man to being a ... well ... a man without man parts
Imagine how smart they could be if they lived decades?