I believe it is "octopodes" due to its Greek origins. It is only grammatically correct to add an "i" to the end of a word to make it plural if the word has Latin origins, such as in the word "cacti."
Technically, 'octopodes' is most correct, as the original word is derived from Greek. Sadly, this version is not commonly used - perhaps a revival is in order?
I didn't realize the cuckoo tricked other birds into raising its young. Maybe that's because it's mainly a Eurasian bird so I don't encounter too many of them in Kansas. I know that around here the cowbird does the same thing.
The cowbirds come to our feeders in late winter with the Brewer blackbirds. I don't mind the blackbirds but I can't stand the brown headed cowbirds.We have hanging flower baskets on our patio where wrens nest each year. I watched a wren last week constantly feeding a young bird perched on the edge of its nest with its mouth continually open. I was thinking that the young bird looked bigger than its parent, and then I realized it was a baby cowbird. I'm guessing the young wrens had already starved.
In desperation I tried cocoon for "It becomes a butterfly or moth", and got cuckoo instead! (I'll take 'em any way I can get 'em....) 23/24; tripped up on cassowary.
actually it's just a myth that cockroaches would survive a nuclear apocalypse. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/11/cockroaches-would-not-survive-an-extreme-nuclear-fallout/
As pointed out before, centipedes are NOT insects. "Creepy crawly" or "arthropod" might be better phrasings, alternatively the clue could be made into "like millipedes, but carnivores" or something similar.
I realize they're from New Zealand, but the inclusion of the words "australian" and "flightless" made me guess "conchord" for that clue on the off-chance that a conchord is actually an animal...
I typed in both "cocoon" and "chrysalis" before I realized that it wanted the FIRST stage of the butterfly/moth life cycle. Should've been more specific, or cocoon and chrysalis should be accepted.
Thank you for accepting catamount for mountain lion, I might have eventually gotten cougar, but catamount was my first thought. That was my first thought even though spell check is even now telling me that is not a word.
Silly me, I was stuck on Cardinal for the longest time. I put Cock-of-the-Rock and Cotinga first, both of which can be considered bright-red New World birds!
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-many-plurals-of-octopus-octopi-octopuses-octopodes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus#Etymology_and_pluralization
it is aslo another red bird that lives in the americas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimpanzee