An intense competition dubbed the #CuteOff flooded Twitter feeds.
Hundreds of people — scientists and laypeople alike — posted photographs of creatures they found worthy of the title of cutest animal on earth. National Geographic reports that the starting gun was a tweet by ecologist Anne Hilborn.
I
Apparently, Hilborn was also the catalyst for the famed #JunkOff from the week prior, in which scientists shared photos of rarely seen animal genitalia. But we'll spare you those images.
The event even spawned factions, with groups rooting for bugs (#TeamEntomology), birds (#TeamOrnithology), reptiles (#TeamHerpetology), fish (#TeamIchthyology), and mammals (#TeamMammal) hashtagging their alliances.
People may have treated the #CuteOff like a contest, but with this digital deluge of dorbz, we're all winners.
Without further ado, please enjoy a sampling of some of my favorite entries.
Tiny domestic turtle. Check.
I interrupt your important grant writing session to win the #CuteOff. #TeamHerpetology http://pic.twitter.com/oonXLDEjC8— Katy Greenwald (@amphibs) September 1, 2015
A frog waving like a human? There's a frontrunner.
The very cute Rufous-eyed Brook #Frog (Duellmanohyla rufioculis) says hi! #CuteOff #TeamHerpetology #amphibians http://pic.twitter.com/d7rWtHWuzk— Dr Jodi Rowley (@jodirowley) September 1, 2015
OK, I see you bugs. You can be cute, too.
Bugs are adorable, especially when they play "let
Tiny fish, you're all right in my book.
I study some of the smallest fish in the world. I think they
Ugh. Stop it. Really? OK, don't.
The prancing baby monkey. Learning to use one's body (motor skills)- a key part of growing up. #CuteOff #teammammal http://pic.twitter.com/3DE4aCgTUo— Alexander Georgiev (@alexvgeorgiev) September 2, 2015
Clearly, I'm a sucker for all this common DNA.
I
Oh, the fuzz.
Because what
Please stay a baby. Forever.
baby echidnas are called puggles.
I've always had a soft spot for these fellers. (I grew up in Texas.)
Don
These guys are maxed out on cuteness.
Mouse lemurs are glad just to be part of #cuteoff. They
Do not touch the animals ... unless you're tickling this baby penguin.
ADORABLE Baby Penguin being Tickled!#cuteoff http://t.co/zYgSpM7u0o— Helen Murphy (@spudpan) September 3, 2015
Uhhh ... I'm not sure, but ... yes. Please. Thank you.
My #CuteOff entry. The Chromodoris sp. of the nudibranch. It
It's not beauty rest. It's cutey rest. (Yes I did.)
This orphaned northern quoll was named Djili by her carers #cuteoff #kakadu http://pic.twitter.com/ziXmQvG58U— ParksAustralia (@Parks_Australia) September 4, 2015
And finally, my favoritest of the bunch. How can you not want to squeeze it into nothingness??? Scratch that. They're endangered.
Endangered baby Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit enters the #CuteOff http://pic.twitter.com/oh6SSbIKlZ— Oregon Zoo (@OregonZoo) September 4, 2015
Can you believe the world is filled with stuff like this? Let's try to keep it that way, eh?
Thumbnail image by the Photo by Michael Durham/Oregon Zoo, used with permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment