Octopus Toys

[SabrinaR]

I think the shape sorter would be cool to try... makes me want to run out and get one.

 

[Green_Tree]

Shape Sorter would definitely be interesting.

Captfish, im not so sure that there is metal in the Rubik cube. Hmm Maybe ill demolish my old one and buy a new one for my future octopus. And by demolish i mean take it apart then hit the center piece with a hammer.

 

[Lmecher]

I wish I still had my kids baby toys. We had that very shape sorting toy. I am going to start hunting again.

 

[DWhatley]

Me thinks you expect way too much. Perhaps if you attach a piece of shrimp to a shape and put it in the ball but I think the octopus will just go inside to eat it rather than trying to find the correct hole.

 

[DWhatley]

So far, color or contrast does not seem to be part of the choice. We have two threads on in situ encounters that might give some clues but mood may be the ultimate deciding factor. Today, Jugglemat added a few notes to his wonderful journal on a group he visits and made a few comments on the subject. Haggs did an experiement last year to see if he could determine what might attract them to specific objects. All octopus keepers know they try to capture feeding sticks of any nature. LMecher's el Diablo particularly hordes tooth brushes and Kalypso seemed to like the bulb of a turkey baster. These examples are perhaps more of hording than playing though.

The best examples of objects that seem to take attention for short durations (perhaps more like play) have been floating objects. CaptFish (Legs - O.briareus) experimented with a fishing bobber, LMercher (el Diablo - O. vulgaris) successfully uses children's bath type toys, CORW314 has had several octos to play and ride with a large leggo mega block and I have used a clear plastic floating ice cube with a zip tie that has attracted the attention of one octopus (SueNami - O.briareus). All the ones I remember (excepting CORW314's Mega block riders) have been the larger species that we keep and on an individual basis. Todate, none of my O. mercatoris or hummelincki's have shown much interest in floating objects.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Resurrecting an older thread...... any suggestions for toys for bimac hatchlings? The first few days I had them they seemed to be interested in the coffee stirrers I cut up and put in there but for the past few weeks they have totally ignored them. I assumed they would prefer small, sinking toys but I can't think of anything small and plastic that sinks. I've put a few shirt buttons in but no interest. They do, however, get very interested in a feeding stick and my feeding pipettes and I always thought that's because they must associate it with food, but now I'm wondering if they want to play with them (since I read here that they all seem to collect sticks). Would it be safe to cut up a wooden BBQ skewer (and cut off the sharp end) and stick those in their nurseries? Maybe I could stick one end through the netting of their breeding trap and see if they hang on it or try to remove it, etc. Scares me, though.... could they get hurt on these tiny pieces of wood?

Any baby toy ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Joe-Ceph]

My two bimacs were not very interested in any toys. They liked interacting with me: tugging on the feeding stick, squirting water at me, pulling on my hand (and biting it if I let them take it home). They also go for the cleaning magnet when it's moving. They like moving things that they can try to kill and eat, or at least wrestle with. I think that chasing live food is by far the favorite hobby of any bimac (probably any octopus). A tank mate that won't nip at the octopus, but can evade capture for at least a few days will provide hours of enjoyment (for the octopus). There is a little red shrimp (Lysmata californica) that lives under the same rocks where I find little bimacs, and evaded capture for months. I think they evolved together, and so are matched in their ability to chase and to evade. Maybe you can try various small tank mates when your bimacs get bigger, but such an experiment would probably be too risky while they are so small and edible.
I also think my adult bimac likes to watch me and the family go about our daily business (the tank is in the living room). I would swear that my first one liked watching TV). When the house was empty for two weeks (except for the octopus feeder every three days) my bimac must have been bored without anything to watch, and kept ripping the tunze nanostream pupmp off of its magnetic mount and pulling the cover off. He did it every three days, but not again after the family came back and there were people to watch every night.

 

[stranger401]

What kind of store? I tried several searches to try to figure it out (thinking cat or dog toy that you stuff with a treat) but did not come up with anything.

Pet stores often have a range of suitable toys for octos...I have used round ball like toys made of rubber in which you can put treats.

 

[DWhatley]

@stranger401 good answer but a bit dated.

 

[Hands]

sooooo do we have any news regarding toys? any new insights since 2011?