Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus: The Internet's Favorite Fake

If you think you've seen an octopus made of mollusks climbing threes in the Pacific Northwest, you may want to double check what was in that brownie. Nicole Antonio / DALL-E

Sounding like something out of a sci-fi novel, the Pacific Northwest tree octopus has made its way into the hearts of internet users, educators and even conservation enthusiasts for years.

Described as an arboreal cephalopod, this cryptid supposedly swings through the mossy branches of temperate rainforests in the Olympic Peninsula, where its habitat lies.

Though it's widely understood to be fictional, the idea of the Octopus paxarbolis — aka the Pacific Northwest tree octopus — raises questions about biology, adaptation and our willingness to believe. Let's climb into the canopy of the science behind the myth.

Contents

What Is the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus?
How Did the Tree Octopus Gain Popularity?
Could a Tree Octopus Exist, Biologically Speaking?
What Threats Would a Tree Octopus Face?
The Real Lesson of the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

What Is the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus?

The northwest tree octopus (which doesn't exist) is said to be a unique species of mollusk that evolved the ability to live out of water, exploring its arboreal world with the same dexterous limbs and advanced sensory organs typical of aquatic octopuses.

Supposedly, it spends its early life in an ancestral aquatic environment, then climbs into trees as it matures.

Its imagined range stretches across the Olympic mountain range adjacent to Hood Canal. Like all octopuses, it has eight arms, a remarkable brain to body ratio and sensitive suckers that allow it to cling to bark as easily as to coral.

This supposed tree octopus species even has a special mode of locomotion called "tentaculation" — essentially swinging or pulling itself through branches in a three dimensional environment.

How Did the Tree Octopus Gain Popularity?

The origins of the Pacific Northwest tree octopus date back to 1998, when a website was launched to warn the public and rally support to save the Pacific Northwest tree octopus.

Despite being entirely fictional, the site mimicked real conservation campaigns, complete with calls to action, ecological stats and references to an endangered species list.

Educators and critical thinking advocates quickly saw the site's potential. It became a popular teaching tool for digital literacy, asking students to evaluate whether the northwest tree octopus could possibly be real.

After all, solitary cephalopods like the octopus are generally water-bound, desiccating when out of water for too long. And even with specialized skin adaptations, surviving in tree canopies seems like a stretch.

Could a Tree Octopus Exist, Biologically Speaking?

Biologists say it would take some pretty radical arboreal adaptation for a mollusk to thrive in a forest canopy. Octopuses are fully aquatic, and no known species can remain desiccated for prolonged periods or hunt small vertebrate prey in trees.

Still, evolutionary theory doesn't rule it out entirely. Some evolutionary theorists suppose that arboreal lifestyles could evolve in marine animals if selective pressures made it worthwhile. Perhaps something like the Douglas octopus — if it existed — could adapt over time.

We already know octopuses are problem solvers. In laboratory experiments, octopuses have been shown to solve complex mazes and other challenging tasks to obtain food. So, imagining a tree octopus's advanced behavioral development isn’t totally bananas (just overwhelmingly bananas).

What Threats Would a Tree Octopus Face?

Even in a fantasy world, the northwest tree octopus wouldn’t have it easy. Logging and suburban encroachment in the Olympic Peninsula would destroy its range. The illegal tree octopus trade — a spoof on black-market animal trafficking — might further endanger the species.

And let’s not forget natural predators. A bird's nest might be a cozy hiding place, but a bald eagle or house cat could easily pick off a curious octopus.

The Real Lesson of the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

At its core, the tree octopus is less about zoology and more about critical thinking. It teaches us how easily we can be persuaded by a convincing narrative. The idea of a red-ringed madrona sucker clinging to Douglas firs may be wild, but it’s also a reminder: always question, always verify.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.