Fungi Forest
Iris & Harriet
Robot
Sea Turtle
Dragon
Shiloh & Elke
Snail Cake
House Cat
Cover: Pterodactyl Tourist
Table of Contents: Woolly Terrestrial Octopus
The Woolly Terrestrial Octopus (Octopus hirtus) is a land-dwelling carnivore that can grow up to four feet in length and weigh as much as seventy-five pounds. It is warm-blooded and lives in northern temperate forests, using its sharp beak to hunt for birds, squirrels, and other small rodents. It is a solitary creature that is most active at night.
The terrestrial octopus has a thick coat of fur and is able to climb trees and rocky outcrops using its strong arms, which are lined with mucus-secreting suction cups. Unlike its invertebrate marine counterpart, the terrestrial octopus has a skeleton, including a skull, rib cage, and vertebra-like columns of bones within each arm.
During mating season, the terrestrial octopus builds, in thickets of tall vegetation, distinctive conical grass-nests in which to lay its large, speckled eggs. It will lay three to five eggs, and the incubation period lasts for thirty-five to forty days.
Media
Color drawings: watercolor with pen and ink
Black and white drawings: pen and ink
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Sophie Argetsinger has been drawing animals, monsters, and imaginary worlds since childhood. Through her drawings, she enjoys connecting to nature and animals, as well as escaping into other worlds, and allows the viewer to do the same. She graduated from Smith College in 2007 and is currently working as an illustrator and book designer in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Sophie is most recently the author/illustrator of A Tale From Beginningless Time, a graphic creation story. You can see more of her work on her website.