TONIGHT! Round 1 of the LIBRARY LEGENDS!!!!Tonight we will explore some amazing taxa that are associated with libraries- through symbolism, through lifestyle, invited guests and pesky pests! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:02:11.994Z
And because we have a LOT OF SCIENCE… and plenty of CARNAGE!!! without further ado… #2026MMMwww.youtube.com/watch?v=MEvH…
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:03:20.577Z
First Up: #1-seed Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) vs. #16-seed Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:04:42.259Z
Papyrus is a giant grasslike plant with triangular blades known as a sedge. Papyrus wetlands are important for biodiversity, for water quality, floodwater management, and contribute directly and indirectly to the livelihoods of millions of people. (Van Dam 2014) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:05:31.141Z
Papyrus motifs are prominent in paintings and carvings in Egyptian tombs. Illustrated Papyri records, thousands of years old provide extensive records of ublic and private life of ancient Egyptians (Rusman 1995; Autran 2023) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:05:47.140Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamPapyrus Art by Valeria Pellicer @veppart.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:06:06.951Z
Maxombe et al. (2022) used SE African Papyrus DNA (n = >1000) to test the unidirectional dispersal hypothesis (i.e. pops downstream have ⬆️ diversity than pops upstream). Results = no! Looks like Holocene climate & demographic dynamics shaped genetic diversity. http://www.nature.com/articles/s41… #2026MMM
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:06:12.466Z
Nile Crocodile can grow to 18 feet & 2000lbs, sizing in 2nd only to those Big Salties #EstuarineCrocodile among the Crocodylians found in tropical and near tropical waters around the world. ALSO TEEFS! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:07:50.072Z
In the late 1800s & early decades of the 1900s, archaeological excavation in Tebtunis & wider Fayum region of Egypt unearthed thousands of traditionally mummified crocodiles wrapped in 26,000 fragments of papyrus texts. (Mulcho et al. 2014) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:08:15.941Z
This region was known for worship of the crocodile diety Sobek, worshipers would mummify both Crocodylus niloticus & C. suchusmany of these artifacts were dispersed to private and/or museum & library collections. (Hekkala et al. 2022) #2026MMM http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/visit/bancro…
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:08:43.641Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamNileCrocodile Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:09:08.164Z
That croc can swim! Meredith et al. (2011) used mtDNA to show that eastern Nile crocs are more closely related to American crocs than to W. Nile crocs (same species?). This suggests some Nile crocs swam across the Atlantic in the late Miocene/early Pliocene! #2026MMM doi.org/10.1016/j.ym…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:09:11.047Z
TODAY'S Battle occurs in mashlands near Lake Victoria, one of Africa's Great Lakes, where BOTH Nile Crocodile and Papyrus NATURALLY OCCUR #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:10:56.057Z
Almost entirely submerged near the bank of the waterway, the semiaquatic ambush predator Nile Crocodile enhances his concealment by lying submerged next to a thicket of tall reeds… PAPYRUS! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:11:30.422Z
Nile Crocodile, his fellow living Crocodylians, & his ancestors have "occupied this ecological role since at least the Early Jurassic" 200 million years ago. (Melstrom et al. 2025) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:11:46.469Z
Lying in the water, Nile Crocodile 'breathes, smells, sees and hears while only his nostrils and the top of its head are visible above the surface" He blends well in the shadows cast by Papyrus over the silty waters with agricultural runoff (Pooley & Gans 1976) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:12:17.452Z
Papyrus, one of the largest sedges to grow in both still or flowing freshwater, is busy photosynthesizing. #PlantScience #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:13:05.051Z
A group of humans has arrived to the Papyrus thicket to sustainably harvest Papyrus. Still used today for weaving mats and thatching house roofs, Papyrus remains an important resource, another reason for protecting Papyrus wetlands. (Emerton 1998 Emerton et al. 1999) #PlantScience #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:14:29.635Z
CHOP CHOP CHOP, humans on the NON-waterway side of combatant Papyrus cut through the adjacent trunks of the shared root system of the large papyrus. #PlantCarnage #PlantScience #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:16:17.864Z
As Papyrus timbers, one harvester grabs it to swing it down into place, opening a gap to the waterway… #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:17:06.697Z
JUST AS CROCODILE AMBUSHES FROM THE WATERS!!!! (Pooley et al. 2019) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:17:26.764Z
Crocodile's tail swing gives him accelerated momentum with the simultaneous forward swing of his hind legs launching off the wetland bank, vaulting Nile Crocodile JAWS WIDE AT THE HUMAN!!! (Pooley & Gans 1976) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:18:32.731Z
THWACK!!!! Timbering Papyrus slaps into Nile Crocodile, SLOWING THE PREDATORY ATTACK!!! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:19:11.847Z
Clamboring jump away, the human JUST MISSES BEING LUNCH, and Crocodile slides back into the waters, claws dragging the hewn Papyrus into the water to eventually float away beyond the field of battle! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:20:08.111Z
NILE CROCODILE OUTLASTS PAPYRUS!! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:20:33.445Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamNileCrocodile Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:20:42.326Z
Using PCR of a small piece of chloroplast DNA, Marota et al. (2002) studied DNA preservation in 0–-3,200-year-old papyri! (PCR = the xerox machine of biology) Results: Papyri DNA ‘half-life’ is only ~19-24 yrs suggesting no DNA preservation after ~700 years. #2026MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1002/ajpa…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:21:01.279Z
Up next: 6-seed cat (Felis catus) vs 11-seed common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:22:49.015Z
Common pipistrelles are one of Europe's most widespread bats and also one of the smallest. Weighing only ~5 grams, they pair their fast, erratic flight with sonar scanning behavior, directing their acoustic "gaze' from side to side as they hunt (Siebert et al 2013). #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:23:32.674Z
Voracious predators who can eat up thousands of insects a night (Mathews et al 2023), common pipistrelles are friends to farmers, and…libraries? Common pipistrelles living in libraries eat beetles and moths whose larvae pose serious threats to books and manuscripts. #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:24:04.869Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamCommonPipistrelleBats Art by Valeria Pellicer @veppart.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:24:18.284Z
What do a tiny pipistrelle bat and bottlenose dolphin have in common? Exceptional hearing. Independent evolution of echolocation led to similar changes in the hearing gene Prestin. Different mammals. Same genetic solution. #2026MMM http://www.cell.com/current-biol…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:24:29.777Z
Cute and cuddly, sleek or fluffy with a come-and-go attitude, domestic cats have settled in our hearts – and in our libraries. #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:25:39.223Z
Library cats have protected books and manuscripts from mice, rats and cockroaches since at least the Middle Ages (Lotz 2017). As playful and (occasionally) patient pets, library cats also promote libraries and act as ice-breakers for new patrons #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:26:10.458Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamDomesticCat Art by Olivia Pellicer @opellisms.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:26:22.181Z
Plot twist: “ancient domestic cat” wasn’t a domestic cat after all. Genomics of 5,400-year-old bones from China revealed a leopard cat instead. Domestic cat (Felis catus) likely reached China via Silk Road trade only ~1,400 years ago. #2026MMM http://www.cell.com/cell-genomic…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:26:31.278Z
The sun has just winked out from behind the tiled roof and elegant white walls of the Biblioteca Joanina, Portugal. Inside, soft squeaks interrupt the hush of the closed library as our Bat shuffles its way out from behind an elaborate bookshelf #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:27:39.038Z
Stretching its narrow wings, Bat swoops down, deftly maneuvering past rows of leather bound books and gilded stucco in search of moths and beetles. Turning a corner, Bats is suddenly transported by #MMMMagic to the modern and austere stacks of a British county library #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:28:12.856Z
After a long exhausting day of napping in the sunlight, Library Cat is dozing on the floor among the stacks. Paws twitch slightly as she dreams of chasing mice and receiving back scratches from library patrons #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:28:43.458Z
Caught off guard by the different arrangement of the bookshelves, Bat loses momentum and spirals downward, catching itself on the back of reading chair. Clinging to the fabric, Bat swivels it heads back and forth while echolocating, trying to learn about this new place #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:29:26.768Z
With the flick of her ears, Library Cat snaps awake. While she may enjoy the occasional mouse or two, years of prowling around old English buildings have honed her skills and senses for small, winged mammals. Rising in one fluid motion, she pads towards the sound. #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:30:10.169Z
Now reoriented, Bat angles its body towards the open aisle of books, pushing off its wings to launch back into the air when WHRIIIP! #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:30:57.852Z
Library Cat springs up and forward and a single outstretched claw slices through the trailing edge of Bat's wing #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:31:57.750Z
Bat falls to the ground with a soft thud. Library Cat delivers another quick blow, sending the bat skittering across the floor. Library Cat pounces forward, pinning the Bat with one paw as she delivers the killing bite #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:32:40.855Z
Bat falls to the ground with a soft thud. Library Cat delivers another quick blow, sending the bat skittering across the floor. Library Cat pounces forward, pinning the Bat with one paw as she delivers the killing bite #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:32:40.855Z
LIBRARY CAT DEFEATS BAT! #2026MMM
— Alyson Brokaw, PhD (@alybatgirl.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:33:18.161Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamDomesticCat Art by Mary C. Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:33:35.388Z
Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) may yet outlive its competitors. This tiny bat weighs < two pennies but can live up to 15 years—mice last only ~2. Bat genome comparisons point to changes in DNA repair & immune genes that may slow aging #RIP #2026MMM http://www.nature.com/articles/s41…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:33:44.078Z
NEXT UP: #4 seed Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) vs #12 seed silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum) #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:35:21.959Z
The Eurasian Eagle Owl is the largest owl in the world, their feathers are brown-black to tawny-buff & sport prominent ear tufties. (Cantrell, et al. 2004) #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:35:55.154Z
In ancient Greece, owls were symbolic of wisdom & knowledge, associated with the goddess Athena & the Acropolis of Athens. Today many libraries have owl motifs in architecture & artwork (Bontzorlos et al. 2023) #2026MMM http://www.lapl.org/collections-…
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:36:35.537Z
Body weights of Eurasian eagle owls range widely – from 1.6 kg to 4.2 kg. They tend to be smallest at low latitudes and largest toward the poles #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:37:10.091Z
This latitudinal trend (bigger as you approach the poles) is found across many (but not all) animal species – it's called Bergmann's rule en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergman… #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:37:38.468Z
The 'reason' Bergmann gave for his rule is primarily thermoregulatory, as organisms get bigger the volume increases more than does surface area. Thus, a large endotherm can hold onto heat more easily. And it's more important to stay warm at the poles (Salewski & Watt, 2017) #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:38:05.725Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamEurasianEagleOwl Art by Olivia Pellicer @opellisms.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:38:32.979Z
Eagle owls in Spain were hunted nearly to extinction in the 20th century. DNA from survivors shows a classic genetic bottleneck: loss of diversity due to low numbers. But populations have bounced back since protections began! Conservation genetics in action #2026MMM journals.plos.org/plosone/arti…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:38:32.377Z
In the other corner is the silverfish! #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:39:26.639Z
Silverfish are literally lightweights – 0.5 to 1 gram in weight and only 7 to 25 mm in length #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:40:23.066Z
Silverfish are voracious feeders on materials high in starches, glue, and cellulose such as paper. Lepisma saccharina is a common pest in libraries and museums where paper books and labels are abundant. #2026MMM journals.flvc.org/edis/article…
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:40:47.309Z
Devries and Appel (2014) found that silverfish add fats and protein to their diet in a narrow temperature range (Figure 1). #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:41:25.957Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamSilverfish Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:41:47.013Z
Favorite snack for Silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum): old library books. Why? RNA sequencing and proteomics of the gut in a close relative found plant cell-wall-degrading enzymes that break down the cellulose in aging paper and turn it into fuel. #2026MMM journals.plos.org/plosone/arti…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:41:52.361Z
Tonight's battle begins outside of the University of Bath library in southwest England #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:42:43.412Z
A library patron rushes out from the library and slips on slick seagull poop on the front steps, windmilling his arms, he accidentally flings the book he just checked out… #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:43:08.936Z
A library patron rushes out from the library and slips on slick seagull poop on the front steps, windmilling his arms, he accidentally flings the book he just checked out… #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:43:08.936Z
Bouncing against the building edifice, the book bursts open, jolting a Silverfish onto the Library steps JUST AS A MASSIVE SHADOW SWOOPS! #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:43:34.609Z
SQUAWK! Seagulls twist-spin-jump to take off from scavenging food on campus… youtu.be/47e3hK3brUU?… #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:44:11.693Z
THE SWOOPING SHADOW IS A TRAINED EURASIAN EAGLE OWL SCATTERING THE SEA GULLS!!! #2026MMM http://www.theguardian.com/education/20…
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:44:51.102Z
A gull flaps away, not even noticing the 1 gram of smooshed Silverfish it smashed with its foot while fleeing the Eagle Owl! #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:45:11.476Z
EURASIAN EAGLE OWL OUTLASTS SILVERFISH! #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:45:35.959Z
A Eurasian eagle owl named Yoda was issued a library card by the University of Bath for it's services to scare gulls away. Yoda passed away from cancer in 2023, but I like to think it provides guidance from the great beyond #2026MMM
— Chris Anderson (@cnanderson.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:46:30.531Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamEurasianEagleOwl Art by Valeria Pellicer @veppart.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:46:56.303Z
Is Silverfish really gone? Nope. A global analysis of indoor silverfish species shows they thrive in human buildings and keep spreading by hitchhiking with cargo. The silverfish invasion may be just getting started. #2026MMM #RIP academic.oup.com/jinsectscien…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:47:07.424Z
Next Up: 8-seed European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) vs. 9-seed Mouse (Mus musculus) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:49:52.291Z
WILD European Rabbit tips the scales up to 5.5lbs, their soft fur is grayish and can be sprinkled with black, brown, ruddy colors. Their undersides are paler gray to white. Rabbits in general have smaller ears & shorter, less powerful legs than hares, & the European Rabbit is no exception. #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:50:31.041Z
Lagomorphs were common doodles & illustrations in the margins of illuminated manuscripts made vibrant with gold silver & other bright pigments. These books were written by hand (and copies made by hand) in the Middle Ages almost exclusively in the libraries of medieval monastaries. #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:51:10.590Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamEuropeanRabbit Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:51:34.801Z
300+ rabbit breeds trace back to 1 domestication from the European rabbit that still hops wild in Spain today. DNA shows steps of diversity loss: Iberia → France → breeds. One species, one funnel 🐰 #2026MMM journals.plos.org/plosone/arti…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:51:47.892Z
House mice can be up to 8 inches long from nose to tail (0.6 stoat length), but they are about half tail, and tipping the scales at 0.15 stoatweights (30grams), fur color ranges from light brown to black with white to buffy bellys. #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:52:55.138Z
House mice & other rodents damage library collections by chewing paper and leather for access or nesting materials and their urine & feces contaminates & deteriorate library materials. Their activities can also attract or facilitate other library pests and organisms. #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:53:21.088Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamMouse Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:53:40.626Z
A mouse in the house? Almost definitely. The house mouse (Mus musculus) moved in with humans 15,000 years ago, but they’re new to the Americas—hitching a ride on European ships in the 1500s. #2026MMM pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:53:53.474Z
Tonight's Battle occurs in Doñana National Park of the Iberian Peninsula 'A key crossroads for migratory bird routes between Africa and Europe, and the last refuge for many endangered species' #2026MMM http://www.donanareservas.com/en/donana/
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:54:51.685Z
Here the first wave of epizootic rabbit hemorrhagic disease began in 1990, wiping out 60% of the population. Despite the idiom "breeding like rabbits" AND being a problematic invasive outside Europe, in their native range, European rabbits are endangered. (Moreno et al. 2007) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:55:11.484Z
Doñana National Park includes marshlands, heathlands, & sand dunes. #MosaicLandscape A burrowing herbivore, European Rabbit prefers the transition zone near low dunes for digging burrows with access to grasslands that emerge from drying seasonal marshlands. European Rabbit is grazing now #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:55:26.968Z
MEANWHILE, nighttime at the Library & Mouse is hard at work, amidst scurrying about for food particles (No Food in the Library!).Mouse has been chewing paper from a book to make her nest more cozy! #BookCarnage! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:56:18.999Z
When #MMMagic translocates Mouse the the grassy meadow aside European Rabbit! Mouse does not typically travel more than 50 feet from home, and the bright sunshine of the great outdoors is a LOT, and so many smells! Whiskers twitching, Mouse approaches the grazing Rabbit #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:57:27.664Z
Side-by-side the Rabbit and the Mouse forage, Rabbit plucks grass blades and Mouse, well fed from human scavenged food, takes a first foray on new shoots of spring grass with delicate nibbles. #PlantCarnage #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:57:56.933Z
WHOMPF! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:58:43.299Z
TALONS EMBED IN THE RABBIT'S TORSO!! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:59:00.381Z
Mouse flattens to the sandy soil as a SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLE'S flight feathers flap the ground, tickling against the terrified rodent, as the eagle's hooked beak begins tearing into the lagomorph! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T00:59:33.914Z
After all, the European Rabbit is a key food resource for the "endangered specialist rabbit feeder, the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti)" with Rabbit serving as "one of the most important trophic links for converting plant to animal biomass" (Moreno et al. 2007) #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T01:00:01.381Z
Mouse sprints away, 8mph, from the predatory scene, as flecks of blood splatter the grasslands! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T01:00:39.762Z
MOUSE OUTLASTS EUROPEAN RABBIT!!! #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T01:00:54.730Z
#2026MMM #LibraryDivision #TeamMouse Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T01:01:05.314Z
#RIP European rabbit 🐰 When myxoma virus devastated rabbit populations in Australia, UK & France in the 1950s, survivors in all three places independently evolved resistance driven by changes in the same immune genes.Evolution finding the same solution 3X! #2026MMMwww.science.org/doi/10.1126/…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T01:01:14.172Z
#InspirationalIntermission #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T01:03:17.094Z
#InspirationalIntermission #2026MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2026-03-13T01:03:58.143Z
Christopher N Anderson 
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