tree octopus real or fake? Reviews and complaints

Analyzing the Legend of the Tree Octopus: Real Creature or Elaborate Hoax?

For over a decade now, there have been circulating online claims about the existence of an unusual creature known as the “tree octopus.” According to various websites, the tree octopus is a unique species of octopus that lives primarily within the canopy of trees along the Olympic Peninsula coast of Washington state. But is this organism factually real, or merely a clever internet hoax? In this in-depth analysis, we’ll take a closer look at the evidence surrounding the tree octopus to determine if it can truly exist or has been cleverly fabricated.

Background on Tree Octopus Claims

The earliest known reference to a tree octopus appeared in 1998 on a website for a fictional organization called the “International Society of Arboriculture.” This site presented detailed reports and low-quality photos supposedly showing the camouflaged cephalopods inhabiting tree branches and foliage.

It described their color-changing abilities allowing flawless disguise in trees along with suckers enabling climbing. Features like prehensile tentacles, small size for their habitat, and nocturnal behavior were also presented as plausible adaptations. On the surface, it seemed a viable Northwest discovery, if oddly niche.

However, as internet hoaxes tend to emerge, questions soon arose. Most notably – if discovered over a decade ago, why no published papers or mainstream acceptance beyond this one website? Forestry departments remained silent on such a remarkable ecological discovery in their own backyards. Curiously, only this one organization reported the tree octopus. Red flags began emerging.

Credible Evidence or Creative Fiction?

Analyzing objective facts yielded no population surveys, distribution maps, peer-reviewed analyses or even confirmed specimens of the supposed tree octopus. Mainstream science offered zero confirmation or documentation to substantiate the claims.

Looking closer, the ISA site admitted the tree octopus page was created in 1996 just “for fun” by student Nathan Wrasse as an example of fictional zoology. Their site motto warns any animal “attributed to their organization should be considered fictional unless credible independent third-party sources can be cited.”

No such independent credibility existed for this supposed new octopus species – only this one questionable source. Additionally, the page styled itself more as an imaginative short story on wildlife than rigorous scientific reporting expected from bonafide species discovery. Details appeared crafted more for amusement than representing real peer-reviewed research, populations or preserved samples.

Anatomy, Habitat Too Perfectly “Adapted”

While prehensile limbs or camouflage in some octopuses exist, the tree octopus took natural specialization to an impossibly exact level suspiciously matching its arboreal lifestyle claims. From tentacle evolvement perfectly matching branch climbing to minute size optimizing canopy stealth – the anatomical adaptations aligned too perfectly.

This indicated more creative fiction trying too hard to appear plausible rather than a genuine undiscovered species serendipitously matching made-up habitat so flawlessly. Real organism adaptations tend more toward chance variation than designed optimality for fabricated surroundings or behaviors.

The tree octopus seemed almost engineered for its made-up canopy lifestyle – implying theory preceded discovery rather than observation sparking scientific research as real finds normally result. Its adaptations seemed suspiciously convenient to validate imaginative claims rather than representing any accidental findings.

So In Summary – Credible Discovery or Elaborate Prank?

Weighing all objective evidence, the supposed tree octopus of Washington fails to hold up under scrutiny of its curious discoverers, lack of peer review, anatomical perfection matching fiction over fact, or any verified samples or population surveys. Red flags persist strongly suggesting an imaginative literary hoax over genuine new species.

While entertaining as fiction, arboreal octopuses simply do not realistically colonize conifer forests as the lone lone source presents. Creative storytelling alone established this supposed organism without compelling real data, as rumors tend not to persist over two decades lacking credibility.

In the end, while remembered fondly as a clever hoax, wildlife biogeography prevents tree-climbing octopi inhabiting Northwest woodlands in reality no matter their entertaining novelty or purported adaptations. The tree octopus remains quaint fiction over verified cryptozoological fact according to objective analysis absent substantiating third-party evidence. Its legacy persists more as an amusing internet prank than credible zoology.