Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2016)
12A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL February 3, 2016 © 2016 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 32, No. 8 Build Strength Strengthen your legs, arms and torso with these exercises each day. In 1999, biologist Sonke Johnsen discovered a deep-sea octopus called Stauroteuthis syrtensis that has developed glowing suckers on its tentacles. This species lives about 2,500 feet down in the Atlantic Ocean. Scientists in a research submarine were able to capture several of these small octopuses which are about the size of a fist. Stand straight up with your arms extended. Slowly raise your left foot out to one side. Balance on one leg that way for 10 seconds. Repeat. In the laboratory, away from the sub’s bright lights, they saw the tentacles glow blue-green. There are more than 150 species of octopus, all with eight tentacles. These soft-bodied invertebrates (animals without a backbone) range in size. One species is no bigger than your thumb, while the Pacific giant octopus grows to be ten or more feet from the tip of one tentacle to another and can weigh up to 50 pounds. The life of an octopus is one of constant peril. Crabs and small fish like to dine on their eggs and young. A grown octopus must always watch out for other predators in the sea. To escape from a predator, an octopus will squirt out a cloud of ink. Thousands of feet down, where the sea is already inky black, they squirt a glow-in-the-dark ink. The octopus can change color whenever it wishes. Danger causes it to turn pale and excitement causes it to “blush.” Its skin is covered with bumps and warts. To hide, an octopus can not only change its skin color, it can also raise and lower its bumps to make itself warty or smooth. Certain kinds of octopus can become almost transparent and nearly “disappear” from a predator. How many octopuses can you find hiding here? What’s Missing? The most deadly predator is the moray eel. It can slip into the same crevice where the octopus hides. Its strong jaws can tear off an octopus’ tentacle! “It would be as if your hand turned into a light bulb,” Johnsen says. Why did suckers turn into light bulbs? Adapting to the deep ocean is the most likely cause of the change. Blue-green light travels the farthest through water and is useful for attracting prey and mates. Stand up straight and extend your arms out to the side. Rotate your arms in small circles. Gradually increase the size of the circles you make. Stand up straight with your hands on your hips. Rotate your upper body as far as you can in each direction 10 times, as smoothly as possible. Look through the newspaper and cut out pictures of feet, heads, arms and bodies. Put the pictures back together in new ways to make silly creatures. Find the words in the puzzle, then in this week’s Kid Scoop stories and activities. Place your palms together and stick your elbows out. Now press your hands together as hard as you can for five seconds. Repeat 10 times. Standards Links: Physical Education: Use a variety of basic and advanced movement forms. Complete the grid by using all the letters in the word EIGHT in each vertical and horizontal row. Each letter should only be used once in each row. Some spaces have been filled in for you. If an octopus loses a tentacle, it can grow a replacement. Find the octopus that has only seven tentacles. Q: What did the boy octopus say to the girl octopus? ANSWER: I want to hold your hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand. Eight of a Kind Look through the newspaper for eight (8) pictures or words of each of the following: • food • animals • prices • fall pictures • 3-digit numbers Standards Link: Science: Compare and sort common objects. Pretend you have a pet octopus. Describe what life is like with this pet. Be imaginative! Do you take your octopus for walks? Is it trained? Cottage Grove Sentinel + www.shoppelocal.biz