First up: Red, in Fur #1 seed RED KANGAROO (Osphranter rufus) vs Tricksy Taxonomy #3 seed MOUNTAIN TAPIR (Tapirus pinchaque) #2021MMM 
This battle was a collaboration between @AnneWHilborn, @MarcKissel & ME! [gif of Jimmy Fallon saying "We are best when we work together & step up!"] #2021MMM
Roo's route to the semi-finals had been smooth-sailing until last round's encounter with Red Hartebeest. Roo's fancy footwork demonstrated how the macro-est of macropods got the name and sent the ungulate hoofin' it. #2021MMM
What other tricks will we see Kangaroo pull out of his pouch for this battle? Well, none actually. Male kangaroos may have disconcertingly well developed shoulder and pectoral muscles, but they do not have a pouch #2021MMM
A female kangaroo's pouch is for the carrying and protecting their offspring as they grow from barely developed young the size of jellybeans into bouncing babies... I mean joeys. #2021MMM
Due to their complicated anatomy & reproductive system (2 uteri! 3 vaginas!), a female roo can have 3 dependent offspring of different ages at the same time! @bittelmethis #2021MMM earthtouchnews.com/all-articles/2… #2021MMM
Tapir is the only non-#1 seed to make it to the Final Roar. This under-appreciated underdog has had a smooth road to tonight's semi-final proving too much trouble for solo Red Wolf and outlasting Dugong #2021MMM
Mountain Tapir is at-risk because of increasing human pressures including road building, traditional medicine, & to make room for cattle (Cavelier et al 2010) #2021MMM mountaintapir.com/wp-content/upl…
The @IUCN_Tapirs specialist group works on strategic action-planning in countries where tapirs live, information sharing & educational outreach highlighting the importance of the tapir to local ecosystems & the broader world. #ActLocalThinkGlobal #2021MMM iucn.org/commissions/ss…
Conservation efforts by zoos can help protect species. The @CheyenneMtnZoo works on wild tapir conservation in Ecuador, using trained dogs (S/O to @RogueDetection) & satellite collars to support local conservation efforts efforts. #2021MMM cmzoo.org/news/archive/c…
Tonight's battle will take place in.... THE DWARF FOREST!! #2021MMM
Tonight's battle is situated along the Kuskokwim River, southwestern Alaska in the Black Spruce dwarf tree peatland of the Yukon-Delta National Wildlife Refuge #2021MMM fws.gov/refuge/Yukon_D… fs.fed.us/database/feis/…
Climate change in the far northern hemisphere has resulted in earlier 'breakup', the period in spring when river & lake ice thaws. In the last 40 yrs the median date of breakup on the Kuskokwim River was May 9 but in 2020 it occurred a month early #2021MMM w2.weather.gov/aprfc/breakupD…
Indigenous communities that rely on stable ice for subsistence fishing have suffered tragic losses w/ increased flooding & drownings due to thinning ice & unstable river flows #2021MMM (Herman-Mercer et al 2011) jstor.org/stable/44150998
Current conditions on our field of battle: 32 degrees F (-1C) & a blizzard warning w/ a combo of rain/snow, blowing snow, then snow #AdverseConditions #2021MMM forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?t…
Red Kangaroo has experienced temps this low a few times but not so much snow. He begins to look for forage to support the increased energy demands he needs to stay warm (Dawson et al 2000) journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/31… #2021MMM [gif of a kangaroo in snow]
Mountain Tapir hardly noticed #MMMagic transport from the páramo ecosystem of the Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary in Peru, where yesterday it was below freezing at night & in the low 80s F by mid-afternoon #SummerEveryDayWinterEveryNight #2021MMM wwf.org.pe/?299618/commun…
Kangaroo has his head down, munching away on last year's crowberries when a sturdy ungulate appears in his peripheral vision. Side eyeing, Roo slowly raises himself to his full imposing height, ready to take on this interloper if necessary. #2021MMM
From the great height of 6 feet, Roo considers the threat level of this newcomer, maybe it is a weird sort of pig? #2021MMM Pic from
Roo has seen feral pigs at home - they're horribly destructive. Large groups have chased him away from waterholes & eaten small joeys from his group. Roo has no patience for this BIG PIG. He bounces towards the Tapir, considering his tactics. #2021MMM environment.gov.au/system/files/r…
Tapir stands still & stares at this tall macropod w/ an extremely unfamiliar locomotor pattern. He raises his proboscis to sniff the air & twitches his ears to get more clues as to the identity of the unusual creature It kinda looks like a deer but doesn't smell like one #2021MMM
Given how low down the tapir is, Roo rejects the idea of using his short front legs to claw at his opponents eyes #2021MMM
Unable to identify Roo as anything he's encountered before, Tapir never-the-less feels intimidated. He can either fight or flee. He decides to give fight a chance as maybe this newcomer is all bounce and no bark? #2021MMM
Tapir charges!! His short legs propel his stout body remarkably fast towards the Roo. #2021MMM
Roo sees the Tapir move & decides that he will finish this pig-gone-wrong with his signature move. He leans back on his tail, supporting all of his weight on that muscly appendage so he can use both legs to give a double barreled kick to the tapir's face #2021MMM
But the Tapir's charge is only a bluff! He abruptly halts, toes digging into the soft wet soil #2021MMM
Caught off guard by the halt, but unable to stop his kick, Roo's legs connect with nothing but air, and he topples! #2021MMM
Pleased at the effectiveness of his bluff charge, Tapir watches as Roo rights himself. They stare at one another, breathing heavily, each thinking about their next move #2021MMM
Unbeknown to Kangaroo or Tapir, anchor ice has accumulated upstream & a mass projects above the water surface. The accumulation of floating frazil slush & stacking ice released from upstream is DOOM for anything down river (Ghobrial & Loewen 2021) #2021MMM doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-…
CRACK!! #2021MMM
First, the ice accumulation LIFTS, then the layers SHEAR, finally, the entire accumulation RAPIDLY RELEASES down river (Ghobrial & Loewen 2021) doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-… #2021MMM
WHOOSH!! #2021MMM
Both combatants hear the sounds coming from upriver, raise their heads in alarm & pivot their ears toward the sound to assess. In less than 10 seconds the ice jam climbs the bank 50 feet... #2021MMM
Red Kangaroo LEAPS uphill while Tapir instinctively runs TOWARD the water for safety, where it is pushed then crushed by thousands of pounds of ice and frigid water (view footage of the entire 2020 breakup here: ) #IceCarnage #2021MMM
RED KANGAROO OUTLASTS MOUNTAIN TAPIR!!! #2021MMM
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