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
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