Humans vs. the Octopus

Humans take pride in their intelligence, strength and ability to manipulate their environment. We are an elite species, the top of the food chain, and better yet, the kings and queens of the jungle. It is no surprise that we view ourselves as “better” than all the animals on planet Earth, but what about the octopus? After all, octopi have four pairs of arms, compared to our less than impressive single pair. Unlike us, octopi have no internal or external skeleton allowing them to squeeze through tight places. How cool is that? Octopi are among the most intelligent and behaviorally flexible animals, just like humans! Every animal on Earth has their own special characteristic that makes them unique; whether it is the way they live their lives or how they act with their environment.

Octopi are surprisingly similar to humans. For example, octopi have a huge head with well-developed brains. Their eyes even have sophisticated lenses. Humans also have very large brains in proportion to their bodies, with great vision. Octopi have separate sexes along with courtship rituals. Did you know that their mating rituals consist of a spectacular light show, which emits from their tentacles? While humans have their own “courtship rituals” they don’t come close to being just as exciting. Intelligence in both animals is a characteristic that sets them apart from other organisms such as brainless clams and oysters. Humans may praise themselves with their intelligence, but octopi have been known to outsmart other humans!

Humans and octopi interact with their environments differently. Octopi swim by moving their fins as if they are flying through the water. Humans, as you already know, do not live in water, but instead use their two legs for walking across the ground. What makes octopi really cool is their use of chromatophores to camouflage into their surroundings. Watch the video and prepare to be amazed! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmDTtkZlMwM).https://massacademy.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/octopus.png

Humans and octopi are extraordinary in their own special ways! As far as I am concerned, octopi are not that much different from humans, besides the oddly shaped heads, eight arms and remarkable chromatophores. Therefore, we should not be calling ourselves “better” than octopi because we might just be underestimating their intelligence.