Thread by @TCastanea

NEXT UP: # 4 SEED FISHER (Pekania pennanti) VERSUS # 13 SEED TIGER SALAMANDER (Ambystoma tigrinum) (photo: Paul Bannick @ConservationNW) #2019MMM

Both of our combatants are widespread throughout North America with overlapping ranges. Fishers inhabit forests with large trees, snags & logs for resting & denning, while tiger salamanders occur in forests, grasslands & marshy areas with soil suitable for burrowing #2019MMM

The fisher is not a cat & is not known to fish. #MammalOfTwoLies Fisher comes from the Dutch words fisse/visse & French words fiche/fichet, aka the European polecat. When hunting, small mammals are their primary prey but they will also omnomnom on birds (Powell 1981). #2019MMM

Fisher's Latin binomial Pekania pennanti is from it's Abenaki name "pekan" (Powell 1981). In 2008, @_ELProject declared Abenaki a #CriticallyEndangeredLanguage #2019MMM endangeredlanguages.com/lang/701

Although fishers look similar to martens & stoats, recent advances in molecular biology revealed that they are more closely related to wolverine (Gulo gulo) (Li and others 2014) sciencedirect.com/science/articl… #2019MMM

Adult fishers usually weigh 2-5 kg & males can be twice the size of females. Their coats are dark brown with a cream to pale orange chest patch that has a unique pattern that can be used to identify individuals (Powell 1981) #2019MMM

The tiger salamander is one of the largest land salamanders on Earth & can weigh over 9g. Their patterns & colors vary wildly by subspecies but individuals change over time so they cannot be reliably identified by their patterns alone (Waye 2013) #2019MMM researchgate.net/profile/Heathe…

Tiger salamanders are classified as mole salamanders (Ambystomatidae) for their burrowing behavior. They use burrows made by small mammals & can dig their own burrows. #NotTigersOrMoles #SoManyLies #2019MMM

Tiger salamandars will eat pretty much any animal that fits in their mouth- this is known as a "gape-limited predator" #2019MMM

Tonight's battle is in Ministik Lake Game Bird Sanctuary, Alberta's 1st provincial bird sanctuary, designated in 1911. With a mix of lakes, wetlands & forests, the sanctuary is managed for wildlife conservation, hiking, hunting & trapping #2019MMM open.alberta.ca/publications/2…

It's early spring, which means snow is melting & love is in the air! Fishers are out searching for mates & salamanders are beginning to make their way toward breeding ponds #2019MMM

Our large male fisher weighs 6kg and needs to eat 660 calories every day to survive! (Powell 1979) #2019MMM

Although fisher would prefer to eat a tasty porcupine or dead deer, fisher catches a whiff of the mouse nest & darts to the burrow #2019MMM

Digging aggressively, fisher's fossorial claws impale the tiger salamander & send him flying through the air, very quickly fisher has scarfed the baby mice #ByeByeBye #2019MMM

FISHER TEARS & TOSSES TIGER SALAMANDER #2019MMM

Baby mice are only 10% of the calories fisher needs for the day. Still hungry, fisher continues searching for food and smells the smell he's been searching for... dead deer! #WinnerWinnerDeadDeerDinner (Powell 1979) #2019MMM

Fisher investigates & sees deer carcass hidden INSIDE a LOG (!?!). After circling, Fisher enters the log & *CLANG* #2019MMM (photo by @NorthwestTrek)

That is no log! It's a box trap! Fisher is caught by a trapper... and brought to the Calgary Zoo #CliffHanger #2019MMM