Real or Fake?

Real or Fake? — page 7
8 AN OCTOPUS THAT LIVES IN TREES REAL OR FAKE The U S Pacific Northwest is wet So wet that a sea creature lives in the region's trees The Pacific Northwest tree octopus can be found swinging by its tentacles from the limbs of cedars and Douglas firs in the densely forested Olympic Peninsula in Washington State Cruising through the canopy like a chimp it searches for insects and frogs to eat while keeping a watchful eye out for hawks and bald eagles Dry summers are no problem for the octopus It gets all the water it needs from the soggy moss draping the trees A logger first reported the species to scientists in 1954 Before then the wild largely unexplored forests had kept the sea creature's existence a secret Unfortunately the removal of trees on the peninsula has drastically reduced the octopus's habitat and it is now endangered A website about the curious creature has been launched to help raise awareness and bring it back from the of brink extinction