Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

An octopus that inhabits trees? Has octopus paxarbolis evolved to live on land as well in the sea? We know about species of fish like mudskippers and snakeheads that leave the water and survive for days on land, but an octopus?

Is this information trustworthy or a hoax?

This question requires careful Web site investigation.

Chalk one up for evolution, unless this is a hoax.

Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus claims the species is at risk due to low population numbers. Its habitat, the dense rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, provide sufficient moisture for survival as well as protection from predators, including humans.

The evidence provided is reasonable enough. Sightings are rare, yet a few lucky photographers have captured images posted on the Web site, including first-hand reports of sightings.

If you think this smells fishy, you need to check out the credibility of the information on the Web site. Locate the author of the information and investigate the author's training and credentials. If the author is a scientist, that adds to the credibility of the information. Other things to investigate include the information and links the author has placed on the site. Also, don't overlook Web pages that link to the suspect Web page. Use the link: command to determine who thinks this information is important enough to include on their own Web pages. If this is a real octopus, who would you expect to find linking to it?

Be sure to base your conclusions on facts.