NEXT UP: #3 Mountain Tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) vs #6 Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)! Collaborative battle by me and @annewhilborn with genetics by @sexchrlab#2021MMM
@AnneWHilborn@sexchrlab Mountain Tapir can be active any time of day, unlike other tapir species which are mostly nocturnal. Activity levels depend on elevation, with more foraging occurring throughout the day in secondary forests below 3000m. (tinyurl.com/4dfrvh9f) #2021MMM
@AnneWHilborn@sexchrlab Mountain Tapir spend lots of time at mineral licks & eating clay for salt, silica, & copper. It is thought these minerals are needed to neutralize plant defense compounds! (tinyurl.com/3tebfhvt) #2021MMM
Jaguarundis are diurnal, and therefore are easier to see than other felid species. Consequently people intially thought they were quite common. In reality they are an 'uncommon low density species' #2021MMMiucnredlist.org/species/pdf/50…
Jaguarundis have two color morphs. Our contestant is of the more boring grey/dark morph, though one of his littermates was an attractive foxy red #2021MMM
Our battle is once again Sangay National Park in Ecuador. This is home turf of the Tapir. Jaguarundis don't live in Sangay, but since they are habitat generalists, our cat is not particularly phased by the unfamiliar place, though it is colder than he is used to. #2021MMM
Mountain Tapir is selecting the best plants to chomp using bristles on the end of its proboscis & a keen sense of smell. Tapir can navigate in the dark using smell alone, but now it catches the scent of a feline predator.... #PlantCarnage#2021MMM
Jaguar are frequent predators of Mountain Tapir, & not to be taken lightly. The smell of this cat is different than jaguar, however the Tapir is still on guard. #2021MMM
Jaguarundi is also sniffing, & detects the rich base notes of tapir. Familiar w/ tapirs from his home forest, he turns his attention to an ocelot latrine at the base of a tree. These latrines serve as mammalian communication hubs (tinyurl.com/42vppt36) #2021MMM
SNIFFFFFFFF! Jaguarundi's nostrils fill with strong Eau De Ocelot suggesting one has been here far too recently for the Jaguarundi's liking. #2021MMM
Ocelots are 2x his size and extensive dietary overlap between them suggests intraspecific competition and #CARNAGE, as cats widely engage in intraguild predation. (Caro and Palomares 1999) tinyurl.com/y63jujwt#2021MMM
The Jaguarundi knows discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to ocelots. Jagurundi exits stage right. This "Ocelot Effect" is seen with many smaller cat species (de Oliveira et al. 2010) #2021MMMtinyurl.com/39d5udam
Tapir, having determined that no jaguars are around and being impervious to any ocelots or their effects, keeps munching placidly #2021MMM
NEXT UP: Tube Anemone (Arachnanthus lilith) vs Platyzilla (Obdurodon tharalkooschild)!!! #2021MMM
Our first combatant is the Tube Anemone, a member of the diverse group of Anthozoans which live in the sediments of the oceans. #2021MMM
Named after the parchment-like chambers they reside in, Tube Anemones construct woven networks of tough stinging cells known as "ptychocysts" that help defend the body of Tube Anemones from predators. (tinyurl.com/evbvpd63) #2021MMM
NEXT UP: Mountain Tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) vs Common Treeshrew (Tupaia glis)!!! Genetics tweets for this battle provided by @sexchrlab#2021MMM
@sexchrlab Mountain Tapir are the smallest of all tapirs, less than 1 meter at the shoulder & only 150kg. They are distinctly colored - a uniform dark brown, with bright white lips and tips of their ears. #2021MMM
A Malaysian legend tells that Tapirs were made with leftover parts of other animals with an unusual mixture of traits - thick, round bodies & a long, prehensile snout for grabbing food. Early biologists originally thought they were a type of Hippopotamus! #2021MMM
NEXT UP: Raccoon Dog (#3) vs. Northern Short-tailed Shrew (#14)!!!! #2020MMM
Raccoon Dogs are omnivores native to Eastern Asia. Despite the characteristic black bandit mask & brown fur, they are actually not closely related to raccoons! Their common name is half correct though, they are closely related to foxes. #2020MMM
While Raccoon Dogs are smol (~70cm long or 2.3 stoats), they make up for it with floof! Their characteristic long and silky brown fur can provide greater insulating warmth than arctic foxes! #2020MMM
UP NEXT: 2-seed Coyote & Badger (Canis latrans & Taxidea taxus) versus 15-seed Ants & Aphids (Formica cinerea & Aphis varians) #2019MMM
Our battle today takes place within Dinosaur National Monument along the Green River in Colorado. It has been another dry winter and the entire desert is feeling the impacts. (nps.gov/dino/index.htm) #2019MMM
Coyote was going along looking for tasty ground squirrels to eat. But making your way in the prairie today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. #2019MMM