Animals that start with O

Octopus

Are you ready to dive into the wacky and wonderful world of octopuses? Come discover some facts that will make you laugh and learn! Join Albert as he explores these amazing octopus facts for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Click on the images to hear silly sounds and then read about fun octopus facts like what do octopuses look like?, what sound do octopuses make?, how big are octopuses?, what do octopuses eat?, where do octopuses live?, and more fun facts about octopuses for kids!

What do octopuses look like?

An octopus is an invertebrate. That means that it doesn’t have a backbone like us. Other invertebrates include insects, worms, squid and jellyfish.

The octopus has eight arms. These have suckers underneath which help the octopus stick on to things.

Their body is squidgy and can change shape. They have a brain, two eyes and a beaky mouth.

What sound do octopuses make?

Click the the image to hear the sound!

Scientists think that octopuses could communicate with sound but they don’t yet know what kind of sound they make.

How big are octopuses?

There are lots of different species or types of octopuses.

The biggest one is called the Giant Pacific Octopus and can weigh up to 156 pounds (70 kilograms). That’s as much as some full-grown adults.

The smallest octopus is called Octopus wolfi and weighs just 0.035 ounces (1 gram).

What do octopuses eat?

Octopuses are carnivores which means that they eat meat or other animals.

They are predatory which means that they hunt their prey.

Octopuses that live on the sea floor eat shellfish and crabs. Octopuses that live in the open ocean eat prawns, fish and squid.

Where do octopuses live?

Octopuses live in seas and oceans. Some live in shallow water such as in rock pools. Others live far out to sea in very deep water, some as deep as 3000 feet (900 meters)!

More fun facts about octopuses for kids

Octopuses are very intelligent. They have good short and long term memory. They can tell the difference between shapes and patterns. They can solve problems and can use “tools” to help them, such as building a shelter to protect themselves. They have also like to play.
The octopus has really cool skin! It can change color. They can do this to keep camouflaged or hidden when there is a predator nearby. If the octopus swims over some green seaweed it can turn its skin green. If it then swims over some gray rocks, it can turn its skin gray!
Octopuses have an amazing distraction technique. If it is being chased, the octopus can squirt out a cloud of ink. This distracts and confuses the predator. It stops it from seeing or smelling properly whilst the octopus swims away.
If an octopus loses one of its arms, it can grow a new one back!
All octopuses are venomous but the venom is not strong enough to hurt people. Phew!

Sources: Wikipedia, Live Science, Creative Commons, Britannica.com and Freesound.org