The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus was an internet hoax created in 1998 by Lyle Zapato. This fictitious endangered species of cephalopod was given the Latin name " Octopus paxarbolis " (which roughly means, "Pacific tree octopus"). It was purported to be able to live both on land and in water, and was said to live in the Olympic National Forest and nearby rivers, spawning in water where eggs are laid. Its major predator was said to be the Sasquatch.
The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus website is among a number of sites commonly used in Internet literacy classes in schools, although it was not created for that purpose. Despite the falsehoods shown on the site, such as its support by "GreenPeas.org," the mentioning of other hoax species such as the Rock Nest Monster, the mountain walrus, and its affiliation with People for the Ethical Treatment of Pumpkins (P.E.T.PU.) (mixed with links to pages about real species and organizations), 24 of 25 students involved in one well-publicized test believed the content.
The tree-climbing octopus was mentioned in Terry Pratchett's novel Nation .
Soon other people began to make fake photos of the tree octopus by editing, or by photographing toys and stuffed animals in a similar "habitat".
See also
- Fearsome critters
- House Hippo
References
- ^ Lyle Zapato. "Help Save The Endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus From Extinction!" . http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ .
- ^ http://mountainwalrus.webs.com
- ^ Beth Krane ( November 13 , 2006 ). "Researchers find kids need better online academic skills". UComm Advance (University of Connecticut) 25 (12) . http://advance.uconn.edu/2006/061113/06111308.htm . Retrieved 2008-01-11 . "Don Leu, Chair in Literacy and Technology at UConn, "... anyone can publish anything on the Internet, and today's students are not prepared to critically evaluate the information they find there."".
- ^ Matthew Bettelheim ( March 14 , 2007 ). "Tentacled Tree Hugger Disarms Seventh Graders". Inkling . http://www.inklingmagazine.com/articles/tentacled-tree-hugger-gets-legs-up-on-twelve-year-olds/ . "Of the 25 seventh-graders identified as their schools’ best online readers, 24 recommended this bogus website to another class that Leu had told them was also researching endangered species.".
- ^ "Western Redcedar climbing octopus, Thujoctopus pilosa ". April 1, 2009 . http://mwsu-bio101.ning.com/forum/topics/the-pacific-northwest-tree?page=1&commentId=2263214%3AComment%3A6934&x=1#2263214Comment6934 .
External links
- Official site
- New Literacies for New Times: Preparing our Students for the 21st Century. PDF (178
The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus | Sightings
Photos and reports of tree octopus encounters. ... Cephalopod News 2009-10-29 Quick Thinking Saved The Life Of Stranded Octopus (South Wales Echo)
Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
The endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus (Octopus paxarbolis) can be found in the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula in the Republic of Cascadia, peacefully ...
snopes.com: The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
The Pacific Northwest tree octopus (Octopus paxarbolis) can be found in the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula on the west coast of North America.
Pacific Northwest tree octopus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus was an internet hoax created in 1998 by Lyle Zapato. [1] This fictitious endangered species of cephalopod was given the Latin name "Octopus ...
Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
Information about the endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus and what you can do to save it.
Tentacle Ribbon Button > Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
The endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus (Octopus paxarbolis) can be found in the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula in the Republic of Cascadia, peacefully ...
YouTube - Pacific Northwest tree climbing octopus hunter
Pacific Northwest tree climbing octopus hunter
Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
hoaxes, tall tales, animals, strange critters. ... You will find the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus high in the trees of Washington State's Olympic National Forest.
Tom McMahon: Help Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus From ...
The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus Here are a few things that you can do to help save the Pacific Northwest tree octopus: Write your representatives to let them know that you are ...
Have you ever seen a Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus?
.....was a figment of someone's imagination. _____ ____ The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus was an ...