Swampus

The first octopus to venture onto land and become adapted to live both in the water and on the shore. It is a formidable predator weighing about 20kg, using its arms to grab passing prey and a highly poisonous bite to quickly subdue its catch.

Behavior
Living in the Bengal Swamp, the swampus has adapted to living on land. Four of its original arms have become weight bearing pads with which it can move over land, functioning in the same way as a snail's foot. It pulls itself across the ground by means of its four front tentacles, which, like the four that have become pads, are equipped with horny ridges rather than suckers to grip the ground and pull the swampus along. By stimulating sacs of pigment in its skin it can change in colour to match its surroundings. The knobbly surface and serrated edges of its arms mean that it can lose itself in the tangle of vegetation.

It can survive out of the water for 4 days at a time by using the finite stores of oxygen in its tissues and blood. Once these reserves are used up it must return to the swamp water to replenish.

Swampuses are highly social creatures and communicate by a complex system using touch and chemical signals.

Diet
The Swampus is a formidable predator measuring up to 2m in length, using its arms to grab passing prey and a highly poisonous bite to quickly subdue its catch.

Babies
Female Swampus lay their eggs in pools of water that form on the middle of lily plants, when baby Swampus swim in the plant, the mother Swampus teaches them how to swim and survive in Bengal Swamp.

Predator
One of the Swampus's predators is a Lurkfish.

Mating
Male Swampus sometimes use their arms to wave to a female and when the female waves back, both of them hug.