Ask Tappity: Science Questions for Kids > How Does An Octopus Change Colors?
How Does An Octopus Change Colors?
An octopus can change colors in the blink of an eye, while a chameleon takes 20 seconds or more. Watch this video to find out how they do it!
Octopi are Masters of Disguise
An octopus can match its surroundings nearly perfectly, even imitating the texture. They can transition faster than the blink of an eye - way faster than nearly any other animal. This is a form of camouflage, or blending into the environment, and they use it to hide from predators. Can you spot the octopus in this photograph?
It’s All About the Chromatophores
Here’s how they do it: octopuses have lots of tiny cells in their skin called chromatophores. Each of these is filled with a differently colored pigment. When an octopus wants to change color, it inflates the correctly colored chromatophores, making that color take up more space on its skin. By doing this with thousands of chromatophores all over its body, it can take on whatever pattern it wants.
But Get This - They’re Colorblind!
That’s right, these incredible color-changes can’t even see color themselves! This makes it a mystery how octopuses are able to match their environment so perfectly - how can they match colors they can’t even see? One theory is that even though octopuses might not be able to see colors with their eyes, they might be able to see color with their skin. Awesome!
Octopus Facts For Kids
Got octopus questions? We’ve got octopus answers!
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Octopuses don’t have bones, which lets them be very squishy (to put it scientifically). They can squeeze their bodies through a hole the size of a quarter!
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Two-thirds of an octopus’ brain cells are actually not in the brain in its head - they’re located in its 8 arms. Each arm is able to taste, touch, and move without being controlled by the central brain!
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Octopuses have blue blood because their blood is full of copper unlike ours, which is full of iron.
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Octopuses are one of the few animals, along with chimpanzees, dolphins, and crows, that have been observed using tools to solve problems.
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Scientists have determined that octopuses can tell different humans apart, if they spend enough time around them.
More Answers to Animal Questions from Kids
Why do cats meow? What’s the world’s smallest animal? The Tappity Zoologity library has interactive lessons with answers to those questions and more!
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