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What if you could change the color of your skin? Change its texture and disappear in less than one second. Not hide, actually disappear. There's an animal that can do exactly that. And it lives in the ocean. Today, we're meeting the master of disguise. I'm your host, Garrett Maroon, and before I introduce my two ocean explorers, I want to say thank you to the most recent review from Danny12217. And she said, This show is so simple, so sweet, so interesting, my four-year-old is hooked. Please keep making more because we're listening on repeat for a week.com. Now, let me introduce my two favorite ocean explorers.

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Hi, I'm Hattie, and octopuses might be the weirdest animals ever. And they have eight arms. And that's already a superpower.

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That's right, Ivy. Today's animal superpower might be one of the most unbelievable in the ocean. Octopuses have special skin cells called chromatophores. These tiny cells can change color instantly.

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How fast?

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In less than a second. An octopus can change from brown to red to spotted to striped almost instantly.

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So it's like an ocean version of a chameleon.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Exactly, but even faster. And it doesn't just change color. Octopuses can also change the texture of their skin. How the skin feels.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Texture? Like bumpy or smooth?

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Yes. If they sit on a rock, their skin can become rough and bumpy like the rock. If they hide near sand, their skin smooths out.

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This helps them hide from predators like sharks and larger fish.

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Sometimes scientists can barely tell where the octopus ends and the rock begins.

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So they're good at hiding, but are they smart?

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Very smart. An octopus can solve puzzles, open jars, escape tanks, even remember solutions.

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Can it solve a Rubik's cute like me?

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Not exactly. But some octopuses have escaped aquariums by squeezing through tiny openings, crawling across the floor, eating fish in another tank, and then returning to their own tank like they never even left.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

That sounds like a ninja.

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It kind of is. Okay. Joke break.

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How do you make an octopus laugh? How? Pentacles. Why did the octopus flash? Why? Because he saw the sea's bottom.

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Here's another wild fact. How many brains do you think an octopus has?

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Four. Nine?

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Nine! An octopus has nine brains. One main brain and a smaller brain in each arm. Each arm can move, grab, and explore almost on its own.

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Wow, so their arms can think?

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In a way, yes. Their arms can solve small problems without even needing the main brain. That makes them incredibly flexible and quick.

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And I know that octopuses have three hearts. Two that pump blood to pick up oxygen, and one that takes oxygen to the rest of the body.

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Octopuses also have another trick. If they're in danger, they can release a cloud of ink into the water.

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Like a smoke bomb.

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Exactly. The ink confuses predators so the octopus can escape. Between camouflage, intelligence, flexible arms, and ink clouds, octopuses have a lot of survival tools. Alright, time for another joke.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

What did the octopus say to the octopus?

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What?

SPEAKER_01 5:40

It said hello moon. Well that doesn't make sense. What do you call the octopus? That's always on time. What? A cloctopus.

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Think about this. God designed a creature that can change colors instantly, reshape its skin, solve problems, and disappear when danger comes.

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That's a lot of creativity for one animal.

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It really is. Nature is full of designs we're still trying to understand. Octopuses aren't just strange. They're one of the most incredible creatures in the ocean. From instant camouflage to puzzle-solving intelligence, they truly are the masters of disguise. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Animal Superpowers on the Nature Loving Kids Podcast.

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If you like this episode, share it with a friend. And remember, click the follow button. New episodes every Wednesday. Keep your eyes open next time you're gonna need an ocean. There might be an octopus that's hiding in your mind.

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Until next time, stay curious, get outside, and remember, the world is full of wild wonders.