Thread by @c_n_anderson

1 minute to #2018MMM Round 1 action!!

WELCOME!!! @Mammals_Suck is returning from down under from the @OzBreastfeeding fest, so I get to kick off tonight's festivities! #2018MMM

Important reminders for those catching up on #2018MMM

If you want JUST the official tournament tweets and not ALL the #FanBanter, follow @2018MMMletsgo #2018MMM

Art Director @TheOddAngel & artist @maryccasillas will be providing species art tonight and throughout the tournament! #2018MMM

#2018MMM folks to follow @Mammals_Suck @Drew_Lab @c_n_anderson @TheOddAngel @Mammalogists @CMNHzoology @JenKatWork @MarcKissel @chumblebiome @sexchrlab @StoneLab_ASU @PKurnath @je_light @AnneWHilborn @am_anatiala @tinkeringprim8 @TCastanea @FancyScientist

If you already followed everyone yesterday, be sure to add @sexchrlab as she changed her handle and I tweeted the wrong one yesterday! #2018MMM

All March Mammal Madness #2018MMM info here: mammalssuck.blogspot.com/2018/02/march-…

Narrative recap is on the blogspot site but videos are fun, right? Shoutout to @MC_Marmot for making a great video recap of Monday's wildcard here:

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @MC_Marmot view original on Twitter

#2018MMM

Important reminders done. Let's get it on! Tonight's R1 matchup is in our GREAT ADAPTATIONS division #2018MMM

These species have been especially chosen for their extraordinary morphology, behavior or habitat use that set them apart among mammals #2018MMM

FIRST UP: #1 seed Pygmy Hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis) vs #16 seed Star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata)! #2018MMM

The pygmy hippo. 150–175 cm (4.92–5.74 ft) in length and weighs 180–275 kg (397–606 lb). #2018MMM

The star-nosed mole. 175 to 205 mm (6.89 to 8.07 in) in length and weighs 35 to 75 g #2018MMM

Our battle takes place on the hippo's home turf, Sapo National Park in Liberia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapo_Nati… #2018MMM

For the first two rounds in #2018MMM, the better seeded competitor always gets "home habitat advantage" #2018MMM

Pygmy hippos use swamps, streams, and rivers as refuges from danger and to keep their sensitive skin moist. They are semi-aquatic. #2018MMM

Tonight, I'll highlight two GREAT ADAPTATIONS of the pygmy hippo - 1. their noses and ears close automatically when they submerge underwater (no neti pots for them) and 2. they secrete their own pink sunscreen #2018MMM

Ancient greeks described hippos as having "blood sweat" but it's not really sweat as described by Mark Ritchie in this interview. It helps protect them from the sun! scientificamerican.com/article/do-hip… #2018MMM

The GREAT ADAPTATION of the star-nosed mole is the nose (duh!). The star-nose is a primarily a tactile (touch-sensitive) organ, rather than an olfactory (smelling) organ and it is INCREDIBLY sensitive #2018MMM

Catania (1996) reports that although the nose is 1 cm across, it has more than five times the nerve fibers (100,000 total) than the nerve fibers found on the human hand #2018MMM academic.oup.com/bioscience/art…

Unlike other moles, star-nose moles prefer moist soil and can forage in water. Here's a great @NSF youtube clip of underwater foraging behavior #2018MMM

The star-nose mole also holds the Guinness record for eating speed sciencefriday.com/segments/the-s… #2018MMM

The star-nosed mole diet consists of small invertebrates, aquatic insects, worms, mollusks, small amphibians and small fish. #2018MMM

Our encounter begins with the star-nose mole diving into the swamp next to the pygmy hippo. The hippo, startled, yawns as a threat display #2018MMM

Unfortunately for the star-nose mole, it has rather poor vision so it has to touch the hippo to find out what it is dealing with #2018MMM

Feeling a light brush on the side of its face, the pygmy hippo shakes its head and crushes the tiny star-nose mole with a tusk #2018MMM #nocinderella

PYGMY HIPPO DEFEATS STAR-NOSED MOLE!!! #2018MMM