"Kleptopus" Will Change What You Thought You Knew About Octopuses
June 9, 2015 #nature
 
By Kathy Finney
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Imagine a creature who skulks around at night and steals others' belongings to use for its own benefit. A nefarious burglar, you might be thinking. A sneaking thief. A violent robber. But think again. Meet the coconut octopus, who's only a threat to you if you have a shell collection you keep under the ocean.


The Amphioctopus marginatus walks on two legs, and uses tools...which makes him a lot smarter than your average sea dweller. He's craftier, too...he relegates his actions to the cover of night. What do I mean by "actions?" Sure, the coconut octopus hunts at night...but he also steals!

His nickname derives from the fact that he uses found coconut shells and clam shells as his own shelter. Once he finds one he deems worthy of being his home, he drags it up to 20 meters until he determines a safe distance from anything  or anyone that might take issue with his thievery.

Watch the humorously-narrated video below to catch him in action - and to hear his thought process as he picks the perfect shell to steal. It's a clip that's pretty much guaranteed to give you a good laugh - and a neat perspective on underwater life. Share on Facebook if you found it as funny as we did!

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