Octopuses, some 300 species of which inhabit tropical waters around the world, can change colors, squirt out poison, and exert a force greater than their own body weight. Being boneless they can squeeze into (or out of) tight spaces. They are quite intelligent and have been observed using tools. They have been spotted using coconuts and shells! As humans, we’re very proud of having a pincer grasp—the thumb and forefinger—and we say that’s responsible for our ability to manipulate the environment so well. The octopus can fold the two sides of its sucker together to form a pincer grasp and it can do that with every single one. It has a hundred pincer grasps. Octopuses use color, patterns, and flashing to communicate with each other in various courtship rituals. An Octopus It is so intelligent that it is the only invertebrate to be given special protection under the UK law governing the licensing of animal experiments.
