Next up is the #5 Secretary Bird against the #13 Mantis Shrimp #2018MMM
The Sec. Bird arrived here through stomping the Horseshoe Crab, while the Mantis Shrimp pulled off an upset over the Alligator Snapping Turtle #2018MMM
As the holder of the higher seed, tonight's battle takes place in Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria bit.ly/2pGaZl6 (pdf) where the Sec. Bird has been searching for prey #2018MMM
The bird's quest has caught the eye of several ecotourists. Ecotourism can provide large amounts of funding for African ecosystems, but real questions remain about the social equity. bit.ly/2G90ORd #2018MMM
Today a group of tourists are excited about seeing the Sec. Bird. Like many other raptors in West Africa their populations have declined dramatically, especially outside national parks bit.ly/2pImBnI #2018MMM
The Sec. Bird has arrived near the shore of Kainji Lake where it sees an odd looking invertebrate on the shore #2018MMM #PossibleCrunchySnack
Since many stomatopods live interstitially (e.g. within the nooks and crannies of reefs), so as long as they keep moist they can survive out of water for short periods of time #2018MMM
(I learned this the hard way as many a sample escaped by scurrying away from me) #2018MMM
The Sec. Bird investigates... #2018MMM
Sensing an easy victory the Sec. Bird brings up its murder foot and quickly stomps down on the mantis shrimp #2018MMM
But in a blaze of an eye, the Mantis shrimp does a BLACK FLIP to dodge out of the way!!!! go.nature.com/2ukvfyd
(side bar, Nature was a VERY different journal back in the 1970s) #2018MMM #PlayfulPrimate
The crafty crustacean catapults out of trouble and back towards the water #2018MMM
The Sec. Bird however is all "nice trick, bro" and then drops the other foot #2018MMM
And for the second round in a row an unfortunate marine invertebrate faces deez feet #2018MMM
SECRETARY BIRD DEFEATS MANTIS SHRIMP!!!! #2018MMM
