WESTMINSTER, Colo. – Internet, it is with great sadness that I announce to you that the newest invertebrate member of Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion has not been named “Inky McInkFace.”
Despite great efforts by visitors to name an octopus “Inky McInkFace,” the internet decided otherwise during a four-day public vote. The name? “Tako,” which is the Japanese word for octopus. A bit “meh,” no?
And before I go further - yes, I’m just as surprised as you are that an octopus actually lives at the Butterfly Pavilion.
So what other names were in the running, you might ask? Butterfly Pavilion officials said in a press release they selected the best five names from hundreds of submissions from visitors who went to see Tako – before he was named Tako, of course. On Friday, here’s what they said people voted for:
- Tako – 31 percent
- Sir Inks A Lot – 29 percent
- Terrance “Terry” Tentacles – 18 percent
- Inky McInkFace – 12 percent
- Suckers McSquishyFace – 10 percent
As you can see, “Tako” beat “Sir Inks A Lot” (my personal favorite) by just 2 percent!
The person who suggested the name “Tako” will receive a Butterfly Pavilion family membership and a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo for submitting the winning name.
About Tako the octopus
The pavilion’s new cephalopod (invertebrates in the squid and octopus family) came to Colorado from the Florida Keys, but they can be found throughout tropical and sub-tropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean.
As you probably already know, octopuses have a cool little way to flee from predators in the wild: they create a thick cloud of ink that can dull a predator’s sense of smell and allows for a quick escape.
Octopuses are also quite smart – they collect shells that they use to decorate their dens, which are known as “octopus gardens.”
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the rest of the Denver7 team.