Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
Field Report
The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is actually a playful hoax created in the late 1990s, described on parody websites as an endangered species of octopus living in temperate rainforests of Washington state. Said to climb trees using powerful suckers to feed on frogs and birds’ eggs, the creature was invented to test internet gullibility and highlight how easily people accept unfounded information. Despite being entirely fictional, it’s become a minor cryptid meme, cited in discussions about critical thinking and online misinformation. The Tree Octopus endures less as a monster and more as a cultural mirror — reminding us that sometimes the strangest cryptids emerge not from shadowy forests, but from our own willingness to believe.
Classification
Type:Other
Location:United States, Washington, Olympic Peninsula
Traits:Tentacled, greenish, amphibious, climbs trees, moisture dependent.
Threat Assessment
Danger Level: 1.5
First Reported: 1998
Sightings: 3
Reveal Full Dossier
Behavioral Patterns
It creeps from limb to limb with careful, testing grips. When loud sounds echo through the forest, it squeezes close to the trunk and waits.
Folklore & Origins
American satirical folklore mockingly described it as a woodland spirit punishing lumber greed.
Media Documentation
Originates from a well-known internet hoax that is occasionally still repeated by uncritical blogs. Never covered by serious newspapers or scientists. Pure parody.
Hoax Analysis
Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is a known internet hoax created as a parody to illustrate misinformation online. It has no basis in reality.