On the 5th day
By Chloe Raines, age 14
On the 5th day of creation, God created all water-dwelling animals,
such as sharks, whales, shrimp, manatees... and octopuses. Sailors
long ago believed that octopuses hid at the bottom of the sea waiting
to crush ships and kill sailors. However, octopuses are not nearly big
enough to crush ships; the very biggest ones being about 16 feet long
and weighing only about 600 pounds.
Octopuses are also rather shy. When people or predators
come, they have the God-given ability to change the color and even the
texture of their body to blend in with their surroundings. Amazingly,
octopuses can change the color and texture of their bodies up to 20
times in one minute! If the first getaway tactic does not work, the
octopus can squirt a cloud of dark ink in the enemies face and then
use jet propulsion to get away quickly.
Octopuses belong to a family of
mollusks called cephalopods. This family includes the squid and the
nautilus, and of course, octopuses. There are two major divisions of
octopuses: incerrina and cirrate. Incerrina octopuses are the more
commonly known of the two and they tend to live in shallower water.
Incerrina octopuses have no hard parts of their body except their
beak, enabling them to squeeze through very tiny cracks and crevices
in rocks. Cirrate octopuses, on the other hand, have a protective
inner shell and also two fins.
God created octopuses with superior intelligence compared
to other invertebrates. In fact, octopuses are thought to be as smart
as pet cats. Scientists have tested octopuses on their intelligence in
many ways. They have been tested on puzzles, jars with screw top lids,
and even clam shells that have been wired together. In all tests,
octopuses passed with nearly 100%.
God created the octopus and many other animals with the
desire to play. Octopuses in captivity often get bored, so people will
give them toys, such as plastic blocks. One octopus was recorded
playing with an empty pill bottle for more than 20 minutes.
Of all the animals God has created, one of the oddest most
amazing would be the octopus. There is no way that something as
intricate or as smart as an octopus could evolve over millions of
years. With its eight arms covered with suction cups and its sharp
beak, the octopus is completely original. Not to mention its
intelligence, or how it can change colors. These animals have
definitely been designed by the all powerful, all knowing, Creator of
All Things.
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