#2026MMM WILDCARD
EMOJI BATTLE RESULTS
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#2026MMM did you enjoy @maryfreisner.bsky.social 's combatant art tonight? Both pieces are available as stickers in the Erminea shop! ermineainc.org/shop/

a group of people are standing in a line with their hands on their head . Alt: A crowd celebrate an awesome outcome.

ASSASSIN BUG DEFEATS BONE COLLECTOR CATERPILLAR and becomes the #16 seed of the THAT'S SO METAL DIVISION OF MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS!!! #2026MMM

Anyone else thinking what I’m running? Next year’s Met Gala theme! No? Just me? #bcvammm #2026MMM

A large insect, taking over half of the canvas, faces left carrying the remains of dead ants on its back.

#2026MMM #WildCard #TeamAssassinBug Art by Mary C. Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social

With a preference for ants, the immature Assassin Bug wears the exoskeleton of its prey as a costume to defend itself against predatory jumping spiders... a tactic called CORPSE CAMOFLAGING (Jackson and Pollard 2007). #2026MMM

A grey caterpillar is nested on a spiderweb, covered in armor made of the remains of dead insects.

#2026MMM #WildCard #TeamBoneCollectorCaterpillar Art by Mary C. Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social

Stylized "wild card" cards of both insects wearing their corpse suits (described in coming battle).

FIRST & ONLY UP TONIGHT: Bone Collector Caterpillar (Hyposmocoma) vs. Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis petax) #2026MMM

Michael Buffer - Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!! YouTube video by Jamil Hajiyev

And WITHOUT FURTHER #2026MMM ADO... www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6eQ...

Joy To The World (1975) - Three Dog Night YouTube video by 3DogsLive

Now, for the singing of the Animal Anthem, played annually for this Wild Card event since 2013... Three Dog Night with "Joy to the World" www.youtube.com/watch?v=as8K... #2026MMM

a woman in a blue scrub top says " you learn something new " Alt: a woman in a blue scrub top says " you learn something new every day "

Because here at #2026MMM Headquarters, points on a bracket are just a number, but if you're learning, you're winning!

a man in a blue shirt says " i am untethered and my rage knows no bounds ! " Alt: a man in a blue shirt says " i am untethered and my rage knows no bounds ! "

Prepare yourselves for anguish, anger, and amusement as fortunes fade & fates unfold, in a glorious story of science with cliffhangers, plot twists, non-player characters, and so much more! #2026MMM

a man with a beard is standing next to a woman with the words `` there can be only one '' . Alt: a man with a beard is expressing `` there can be only one '' .

& importantly, remember, MMM features 65 species, but only one will be crowned THE FOURTEENTH CHAMPION #2026MMM

a close up of a man 's face with the words that there 's some good in this world mr. frodo ALT: a close up of a man 's face with the words that there 's some good in this world mr. frodo

Time has NOT run out, & each of us can make an impact on recovering our ecosystems & reducing our use- through our time, through our effort, through our political engagement, through our thoughtful conversations with loved ones. #2026MMM

a herd of elephants standing in a field with birds flying around them Alt: a herd of elephants standing in a field with birds flying around them

In coming weeks we will share in a journey across our world, & occasionally through time, in a celebration of animals, adaptations, ecosystems, and our coMMMunity #2026MMM

10 Ways War Harms Wildlife • The Revelator Bombs and bullets are just the beginning. After that comes toxic chemicals, noise, disease, poaching and worse.

And wars of greed, hate, & empire, cough, I mean current and expanding military conflicts, threaten people, wildlife, & landscapes in increasingly catastrophic ways. #2026MMM therevelator.org/war-harms-wi...

Farm GIF Alt: Farm GIF

Even USAID that HAD BEEN the leading purchaser of food grown by American Farmers, helped support wildlife protection by investing in people, parks, & communities in the ecotourism sector. THESE ESSENTIAL USES OF THE PUBLIC ENDOWMENT HAVE BEEN AND ARE BEING DISMANTLED #2026MMM

a satellite image of a hurricane taken on august 18 ALT: a satellite image of a hurricane taken on august 18

And March Mammal Madness would not be possible without the incredible achievements of scientists the world over, so many funded by those historical engines of excellence- the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin #2026MMM

THANK YOU FOR THIS!

a group of avengers are fighting each other in a scene from the movie avengers ALT: a group of avengers are fighting each other in a scene from the movie avengers

Real Talk: you hear from me A LOT, but March Mammal Madness is made possible by the most incredible teaMMM of the very awesomest people you will ever have the honor of knowing! #2026MMM

a bunch of zebras in a field with the words " it 's in our blood " above them Alt: a bunch of zebras in a field with the words " it 's in our blood " above them

#2026MMM cont. Genetics Team: @afogel29.bsky.social
@carloschalicothere.bsky.social
@elinork.bsky.social
@elliecat.bsky.social
@fervillanea.bsky.social
@lucasrocm.bsky.social
@sexchrlab.bsky.social
@n8upham.bsky.social

a close up of a dna molecule on a dark background ALT: a close up of a dna molecule on a dark background

And @acstone.bsky.social & @cegamorim.bsky.social for bringing together an incredible team of geneticists to unlock the mysteries of the genome of the combatants in each battle! The science, it's so beautiful! #2026MMM

March Mammal Madness returns to celebrate science, storytelling and libraries | ASU News On a chilly winter afternoon in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Victoria Savo is painting a blank tournament bracket on the outside wall of a library. Savo is a library media specialist at Swift...

Shout out to the incredible #2026MMM coverage from ASU with a focus on librarians & libraries news.asu.edu/20260220-art...

a penguin is holding a brush in front of a white board Alt: a penguin artist is painting.

Special shout out to the ART TEAM @opellisms.bsky.social @veppart.bsky.social @maryfreisner.bsky.social & Art Director @oddangel.bsky.social for their GORGEOUS AMAZING HUMAN CREATED ART!!!!! #2026MMM

a man sitting in a stadium with the words mucho mucho joy behind him Alt: a man sitting in a stadium expressing mucho mucho joy

Huge thanks to Profs Miguel Rubio-Godoy and Alejandra Nuñez-de la Mora for translating Educator Materials into Spanish #2026MMM

A round of applause for Education Engagement Coordinator Jenna Kissel & @loreleipatrick.bsky.social and the whole group of contributors to those sweet, sweet combatant info slides! #2026MMM

a man in a u.s. army uniform is pointing at the camera and says you 're awesome ALT: a man in a u.s. army uniform is pointing at the camera and says you 're awesome

Shout out to educators @ianhecht.bsky.social for the trading cards, Mr. Jeff Brunstrum, poolsmmm.org, & @mmmbrackets.com for the online brackets & contest manager & ALL the EDUCATORS who shared 80+ resources in the CROWDSOURCED MMMaterials! docs.google.com/spreadsheets... #2026MMM

a woman is dancing in a library with a sign that says biographies above her Alt: a woman is dancing in a library

Can we get an exuberant round of applause for @grumpator.bsky.social & everyone @ASULibraries for the March Mammal Madness LibGuide with Player, Learner, & Educator Portals! #2026MMM

a man with a mustache is saying it 's so it 's so beautiful Alt: a man with a mustache is saying it 's so it 's so beautiful

And a big thank your to @nickleyw.bsky.social for his elegant design of the bracket (English, Spanish, & Large Format Versions) & @jeclight.bsky.social for the screen reader bracket! #2026MMM

March Mammal Madness 2026 The Journal of Mammalogy and Mammalian Species are once again pleased to participate in March Mammal Madness (MMM) with the addition of other related Oxford Uni

Thank you to Oxford University Press for curating a special issue of #2026MMM combatants freely accessible to folks researching the contenders @academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/asm/pages/ma...