# Octopus: Batman of the animal kingdom **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 14, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637 "2006-08-14T06:24:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/41 "2006-08-16T00:00:32Z")
[QUOTE=Sattua] Octopus vs. shark. Octopus wins. [/QUOTE] I guess I _asked_ for brief, didn’t I? :smack: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/42 "2006-08-16T02:00:22Z")
[QUOTE=Rubystreak] They do seem to be fun. Some birds really look like they enjoy life too. But octopuses are so cool because they are cephalopods, so no bones, few limits on where they can go, and chromatophores, and brains. It’s all good, except they only live for 3-4 years. Imagine what they would do if they had 50 years of life! And 8 arms! It boggles the mind. [/QUOTE] Their lifespan is drastically reduced by sex, or at least in some species. The female expends so much energy in breeding, birthing, and caring for their eggs that they die soon after. I think males have similar restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/43 "2006-08-16T02:27:27Z")
[QUOTE=thelurkinghorror] Their lifespan is drastically reduced by sex, or at least in some species. The female expends so much energy in breeding, birthing, and caring for their eggs that they die soon after. I think males have similar restrictions. [/QUOTE] You know your user name would be an exceptional description of a large Octopus. Jim ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/44 "2006-08-16T02:42:32Z")
[The Elusive Tree Octopus](http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/45 "2006-08-16T02:44:40Z")
[QUOTE=SkipMagic] [The Elusive Tree Octopus](http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/). [/QUOTE] Psst **Skip** , old joke and besides see post #17. 😃 Jim ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/46 "2006-08-16T03:20:35Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] You know your user name would be an exceptional description of a large Octopus. Jim [/QUOTE] Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/47 "2006-08-16T03:23:39Z")
A “real” [arboreal cephalopod](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squibbon), as envisioned by the very weird “The Future is Wild.” ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/48 "2006-08-16T14:04:47Z")
An [article on octopuses](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/15/AR2006081500916_pf.html) from the Washington Post. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/49 "2006-08-18T22:52:31Z")
( I’m sorry but I can’t resist. ) Singularly THE best octopus, was eaten at the seaside in Singapore. Tiny little octopods, on skewers, BBQ’d. It was spectacular, so yummy, makes my mouth water just thinking of it. ::: _swoon_ ::: Forgive me, I beg of you. ---
**Author:** ![Viridiana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Viridiana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viridiana)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/50 "2006-08-19T02:05:27Z")
Hmph. Batman can’t change color or squeeze through a tiny tube. And he only has two arms. The octopus is the smartest, cutest, greatest thing ever to be created. Too bad takoyaki is so delicious, or they would already have taken over the world and bettered us all for it. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/51 "2006-08-19T02:45:34Z")
[QUOTE=elbows] ( I’m sorry but I can’t resist. ) [/QUOTE] Next time, try harder. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637.md?page=2)