Final Roar history:
#2025MMM Two 1 seeds, 2 seed, 8 seed
#2024MMM 1 seed, two 2 seeds, 3 seed
#2023MMM Two 1 seeds, 2 seed, 3 seed
#2022MMM Three 1 seeds and a 2 seed
#2021MMM Three 1 seeds and a 3 seed
#2020MMM 1 seed, two 3 seeds, 7 seed
#2019MMM Three 1 seeds, and a 3 seed
3 and 4 seeds can lose early. It’s rare, but these upsets are the Bracket Busters that inspire the most wailing and gnashing of #Carnassials. Alligator Snapping Turtle was my Final Roar Dark Horse in #2019MMM
twitter.com/Drew_Lab/sta...
Also, damage taken early can fester, RIP #2019MMM 2 seed Nimravid. It won’t affect the percentages but it can feature in the narration.
x.com/mammals_suck... #2026MMM
A fox squirrel in a tree says: “Remember, humans: Beaver was never ever defeated in March Mammal Madness. Beaver just went about doing beaver work - helping everybody, hurting nobody. And rather than fight a fellow rodent, Beaver offered an aspen tree as a fig leaf of peace. Beaver is the role model the world needs!”
As we reflect on another #TeamRodent member cheated of victory in #2025MMM, let us remember the noble example of Beaver (Castor canadensis) in #2019MMM. A close personal friend of Moose, Beaver kindly allowed another rodent to advance that year, and swam away to build more fire-fighting dams. 🦫
The Mountain Beaver in #2025MMM is just a casual acquaintance of Moose.
🫎🦫 #MooseAndBeaverFriendsForever #2019MMM
Final Roar history:
#2024MMM 1 seed, two 2 seeds, 3 seed
#2023MMM Two 1 seeds, 2 seed, 3 seed
#2022MMM Three 1 seeds and a 2 seed
#2021MMM Three 1 seeds and a 3 seed
#2020MMM 1 seed, two 3 seeds, 7 seed
#2019MMM Three 1 seeds, and a 3 seed
3 and 4 seeds can lose early. It’s rare, but these upsets are the Bracket Busters that inspire the most wailing and gnashing of #Carnassials. Alligator Snapping Turtle was my Final Roar Dark Horse in #2019MMM
twitter.com/Drew_Lab/sta...
Also, damage taken early can fester, RIP #2019MMM 2 seed Nimravid. It won’t affect the percentages but it can feature in the narration. #2025MMM
x.com/mammals_suck...
But in an alternate #2019MMM universe Wargoose feasts on the flesh of their vanquished foes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvn19_XEzSE
WARTHOG & MONGOOSE RESIST ZEBRA & OXPECKER!!!! #2019MMM
The Warthog awakes to find the battle has been won! #BilboAtBattleOfFiveArmies #ZebraHoofedIt #OxpeckerWingedIt #2019MMM
The Zebra's hoof was a glancing blow that knocked the Warthog out... but Warthog has a big skull (~16% of body weight; Bigourdan 1948) with lots of musculature & connective tissue padding #2019MMM
SUDDENLY Warthog hefts up, shaking his head & startling his Mongoose mutualist! #2019MMM
Mongoose does his most familiar task in this strange land, nibbling the insects from fallen Warthog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96cqqNNB8WY #2019MMM
Banded Mongoose runs snarling at Oxpecker over the Warthog's invertebrate buffet. In a rapid flapping of wings, Oxpecker departs #2019MMM
Oxpecker alights on the motionless Warthog to eat whatever tasties remain (Oxpeckers are cleaner symbionts of Warthogs too!) #2019MMM
Injured Zebra stumble trots into the distance in desperate attempt to find familiar fields & time for his hoof to hopefully heal #2019MMM
Hoof injuries are quite serious among zebra & other equids. They can quickly fester & make the individual unable to keep up with the herd when they travel to find food, or escape predators #2019MMM...
With the 2nd kick's impact, a sharp pain shoots through Zebra's hoof and he realizes that the sharp lower tusk (Skinner & Chimimba 2005) of the Warthog has sliced the pad of his hoof open! #2019MMM
Still irritable, Zebra buck-kicks again & Warthog collapses! #2019MMM
Zebra's kick has broken Warthog's TUSK! #2019MMM
#2019MMM Instant Replay https://youtu.be/sy2gnqSspx8?t=26
THWACK! CRAAAAAAACK!!! #2019MMM
Zebras can be skittish & unpredictable. With Oxpecker digging away at his neck wound, Zebra is extra irritable & kicks #2019MMM
Zebra & Warthog have found a grassy area to forage. Zebras go for stems & fibrous parts of grass (Ogawa 1975) while Warthogs get down on their knees to crop the green shoots. Warthogs & Zebras often forage near each other, so both are comfortable....for now #2019MMM
Our tag teams quickly move out of the thicket into an open area [where they will have a chance to see a predator coming]. Oxpecker rides on Zebra, & Mongoose trots after Warthog. All mammals are glad to have Oxpecker; they often alert others to danger w/ warning calls #2019MMM
Lions are fond of both pork & horse flesh. #ActualLivingScientist @jgchopcraft found lions prefer to hunt in areas where prey are vulnerable (can be crept up on). Areas with lots of cover. Places with lots of trees. Like forests & woodlands #2019MMM...
Warthog (& Mongoose) & Zebra (& Oxpecker) are on edge. The habitat is somewhat similar to the thickets of their East African home, but the smells are different, the bird calls aren't right, & who knows what predators lurk in the bushes #2019MMM
The Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to leopards, dholes, sloth bear, & a variety of ungulates. But scrub forest in this sanctuary & throughout southern India is sparse due to increased agricultural activity (Senapathi et al. 2007) #2019MMM
