It's that time of year again-- march mammal madness! This is a tournament designed to find the ultimate animal- competitors duke it out in a variety of habitats, but only one can win! The tournament will run throughout March, and all march mammal madness posts will be tagged [#march mammal madness] and [#mmm2025].
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may have seen the (very occasional) art I do; namely abstract birds. If you’re new here, here’s some examples:
(In order: A violet eared waxwing, an american goldfinch, and Vogelkop’s Superb bird of Paradise, and a section of a ploughshare tortoise shell)
If you send me proof that you’ve made a donation to an organization benefiting Palestinians, I’ll make an abstract of any bird–or other animal– of your choosing. You can do whatever you want with it: post it, put it on a t-shirt, print it out and eat it!
The donation can be in any amount, and to any organization or verified GoFundMe (vetted list here, UNWRA, Gaza Emergency Fund, Palestine Red Crescent Society), and you don’t need to include your personal info when you send me the proof. Likewise, you can request any living (or recently extinct) animal- so long as I can find a photo of it, it’s a-okay.
If you have any questions, or you’d like to make a request, my askbox and dms are open!
No diaper duty here– Eiffinger’s tree frog tadpoles don’t even poop! Because they spend the first part of their lives in small pools of water that collect in tree stumps and bamboo hollows, the accumulation of waste– and particularly the ammonia excreted in feces– could prove to be extremely harmful to their health. So instead, the tadpoles store the ammonia in their intestines, and only defecate once they’ve undergone metamorphosis and left their childhood pools.
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(Image: A trio of Eiffinger’s tree frog tadpoles (Kurixalus eiffingeri) by Bun Ito)
The Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) is always dressed for spring. This vibrant bird, which can be found throughout parts of southeastern Africa, is a monogamous species that mates for life. Both males and females come in an array of pink and blue hues. It’s known for its acrobatic antics, especially during mating season: This bird’s elaborate courtship rituals include swooping, diving, and rolling through the air. Lilac-breasted Rollers are so at home in the sky that they also breed in flight!
A slender North American predator not seen in parts of Ohio for 200 years has started returning to its former habitat.
The fisher was extirpated from the state in the 19th century due to fur trapping. Back in 2013, it was spotted again for the first time in northern Ashtabula County, and since then they have become more frequent, with 56 sightings made in the following 12 years.
This relative of the weasel has seemingly spread south from Ashtabula into Trumbull, Portage, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties.
Now, the first sighting has been made in Cuyahoga County, home of the Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and it was Cleveland Metroparks, the city’s parks and wildlife division, that recorded the sighting.
“This is tremendously exciting, as this is yet another extirpated native Ohio mammal species to be documented for the first time in Cleveland Metroparks,” the division said in a statement
The return of fishers and other extirpated species like otters, bobcats and trumpeter swans are a result of conservation efforts and emphasize the importance of our healthy forests, wetlands, waterways and natural areas in Cleveland Metroparks.”
A member of the family Mustelidae which includes martens, stoat, minks, ferrets, badgers, wolverines, otters, and weasels, the fisher is about the size of a housecat. They hunt primarily rabbits, hares, and porcupines, and have no natural predators. In fact, these successful hunters will target prey much larger than themselves, like wild turkey and raccoon. There have been 14 recorded instances of a fisher killing a Canadian lynx.
In Cuyahoga County, Metroparks staff say they aren’t sure if the fisher they saw in the trail camera footage is just passing through or making a home for itself. Mostly solitary recluses, more data will be needed to answer this question.
The return of fishers and other extirpated species like otters, bobcats and trumpeter swans are a result of conservation efforts and emphasize the importance of our healthy forests, wetlands, waterways and natural areas in Cleveland Metroparks.”
The Monito del Monto, also known as the colocolo opossum (Dromiciops gliroides) is a species of marsupial native to the central Andes mountains in Chile and western Argeninta. They are found exclusively in old-growth temperate rainforests, specifically those where southern beeches and Chilean bamboo are abundant. Despite their common name, they are not true opossums, but rather the only surviving member of the ancient order Microbiotheria.
Monito del Montos are almost entirely arboreal and nocturnal in nature. They are phenomenal climbers, thanks to their prehensile tails and large hands. They consume a variety of insects and fruits, particularly larvae, moths and butterflies, and mistletoe fruits. Despite their arboreal nature, they have a number of predators including grey foxes, Darwin’s foxes, barn owls, and wild cats.
Colocolo opossums are monogamous, at least for the duration of the breeding season. Mating begins in late winter or spring spring, and continues from August to November. Females construct small nests lined with moss and Chilean bamboo high in the trees. After mating, gestation takes approximately 3-4 weeks. Up to 4 newborns then climb into their mother’s pouch and attach themselves to their mother’s teats. During this time, the mother remains active. Her young are weaned and leave the pouch after about 2 months, though they typically remain in the nest until late December. Juveniles become sexually mature at 2 years old; their full lifespan is unknown.
D. gliroidesis a very small mammal; their snout-to-rump length is 83-130 cm (3.27 to 5.12 in), and the tail is the about same length as their body. Adults weigh between 16–42 g (0.56–1.48 oz); females tend to be larger than males. Both sexes are covered in brownish gray fur, white on the underside. They have very large eyes and ears, which helps them to navigate more effectively at night.
Conservation status: The Monito del Monte is considered Near Threatened by the IUCN. They are threatened primarily by habitat destruction, as they rely on stands of Chilean bamboo for their food and nests. They are also under increased predation pressure from introduced feral cats.
I’m sorry to be that kind of person, but is inevitably funny seeing that last o in “monto” for almost all the article.
The correct way to write it is actually Monito del “Monte” like its spelled near the end of the post (The name translating to something like “Little Monkey of the Mountain” for those interested)
The Monito del Monte, also known as the colocolo opossum (Dromiciops gliroides) is a species of marsupial native to the central Andes mountains in Chile and western Argeninta. They are found exclusively in old-growth temperate rainforests, specifically those where southern beeches and Chilean bamboo are abundant. Despite their common name, they are not true opossums, but rather the only surviving member of the ancient order Microbiotheria.
Monito del Montes are almost entirely arboreal and nocturnal in nature. They are phenomenal climbers, thanks to their prehensile tails and large hands. They consume a variety of insects and fruits, particularly larvae, moths and butterflies, and mistletoe fruits. Despite their arboreal nature, they have a number of predators including grey foxes, Darwin’s foxes, barn owls, and wild cats.
Colocolo opossums are monogamous, at least for the duration of the breeding season. Mating begins in late winter or spring spring, and continues from August to November. Females construct small nests lined with moss and Chilean bamboo high in the trees. After mating, gestation takes approximately 3-4 weeks. Up to 4 newborns then climb into their mother’s pouch and attach themselves to their mother’s teats. During this time, the mother remains active. Her young are weaned and leave the pouch after about 2 months, though they typically remain in the nest until late December. Juveniles become sexually mature at 2 years old; their full lifespan is unknown.
D. gliroides is a very small mammal; their snout-to-rump length is 8-13 cm (3.27 to 5.12 in), and the tail is the about same length as their body. Adults weigh between 16–42 g (0.56–1.48 oz); females tend to be larger than males. Both sexes are covered in brownish gray fur, white on the underside. They have very large eyes and ears, which helps them to navigate more effectively at night.
Conservation status: The Monito del Monte is considered Near Threatened by the IUCN. They are threatened primarily by habitat destruction, as they rely on stands of Chilean bamboo for their food and nests. They are also under increased predation pressure from introduced feral cats.
Make sure to cover your ears around the common coquí! Although adults are only 5 cm (1.9 in) long, they are thought to have one of the loudest calls of any frogs. Males attempting to attract females have been recorded at topping 100 decibels– that’s as loud as a lawn mower!
(Image: A common coquí (Eleutherodactylus coqui) by Chris Brown)
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