Octopus

Hard to carve

Eight arms, three hearts, and a mind that solves puzzles just for fun.

All of Earth's oceans from coral reefs to the deep sea floor

Carve it in today's puzzle

Fun facts about the Octopus

Octopuses have three hearts — two pump blood through the gills, one pumps it to the body — and their blood is blue due to copper-based haemocyanin. They can change both colour and texture in milliseconds to camouflage perfectly or communicate emotion. Each of their eight arms has its own neural cluster and can act semi-independently, making decisions without input from the brain. An octopus lifespan is short — just 1–2 years — yet they demonstrate complex learning rivalling vertebrates.

Carving the Octopus

The Octopus is one of the trickier carvings in the set. Its silhouette has multiple thin appendages and concave areas that require precise knife work to score well.

Save your Peeks — you will likely need at least one. Clear the large background areas first with the gouge, then switch early to the chisel and knife for the fine details. Rushing here leads to over-carving.

More animals to carve