Thursday, April 01, 2010

Our Latest Cause

Haven't been able to comment much these days; I've been on the west coast, and while I was there I learned about a new cause Gheorghe: The Blog should throw its collective heft behind. It's certainly weird enough, and we could all use the good karma.

Save the Pacific Tree Octopus from Extinction

Please go here now to read about the rare -- and getting rarer -- pacific northwest tree octopus.

The Pacific Northwest tree octopus (Octopus paxarbolis) can be found in the temperate forests of the Olympic Peninsula on the west coast of North America. Their habitat lies on the Eastern side of the Olympic mountain range, adjacent to Hood Canal. These solitary cephalopods reach an average size (measured from arm-tip to mantle-tip,) of 30-33 cm. Unlike most other cephalopods, tree octopuses are amphibious, spending only their early life and
the period of their mating season in their ancestral aquatic environment. Because of the moistness of the forests and specialized skin adaptations, they are able to keep from becoming desiccated for prolonged periods of time, but given the chance they would prefer resting in pooled water.

Although the tree octopus is not officially listed on the Endangered Species List, we feel that it should be added since its numbers are at a critically low level for its breeding needs. The reasons for this dire situation include: decimation of habitat by logging and suburban encroachment; building of roads that cut off access to the water which it needs for spawning; predation by foreign species such as house cats; and booming populations of its natural predators, including the bald eagle . . .


Unless immediate action is taken to protect this species and its
habitat, the Pacific Northwest tree octopus will be but a memory.


Gheorghe: The Blog supports this cause.

14 comments:

zman said...

And a happy April Fools' Day to you too.

d-train said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
T.J. said...

Aren't we better than this crap?

Clarence said...

What, Dan -- you actually didn't eat any cephalopods last night? Or you actually think that Dayton can hang with UNC?

Or you were embarrassed that all of the critical thinkers tenured at Madison didn't prepare you for an AFD joke?

T.J. said...

I think Danny Boy got fooled by Eye-gor.

Clarence said...

And Teej, I am no better than this crap. Not any more. I'm Chevy Chase in his talk show era. Chris Farley in Almost Heroes. Paula Poundstone . . . ever.

T.J. said...

You like to "bad touch" little kids?

d-train said...

igor! so good to hear from you.
no, did eat some cephalopods last evening, did get the joke, but didn't believe the line, despite not knowing a think about dayton...but the line stands. it is correct.
it's disappointing that we only hear from you when a comment is deleted igor. we miss you. what troubles you my son?

d-train said...

or a thing about dayton. whatever.

rob said...

i really enjoy dan's e.e. cummings stylings.

rob said...

jimmy clausen is meeting with shanahan today. lord in heaven, please let it go badly.

d-train said...

thanks rob.
i'll decipher that later.
and re clausen - really? you guys wouldn't want him? yes, admittedly biased, but i really, really believe clausen is going to be good and good quick.

d-train said...

mark - what say you oh all knowing basketball guru - unc getting 2.5 tonight versus dayton...

rob said...

i just think the skins have far more pressing needs.

and any team that can beat the tribe can take dayton, dan. bank on it.