Far away in a dense, Bolivian rain forest, a female Tamandua is using her long sticky tounge to slurp up ants from a nest in a tree. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11pUGA2C-RQ) Suddenly, #MMMagic translocates the Taumandu to the sea ice! #2025MMM
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Tamandua spend very little time on the ground & this one clumsily walks around searching for trees, a stranger in a strange land....or lack of land. #2025MMM
The cold air rapidly pulls the warmth from the Tamandua. The underside of its long prehensile tail lacks fur, to aid in holding tree branches. Now Tamandua curls that tail around her body to retain some warmth. #2025MMM
Ribbon Seals are typically less wary on ice than most seals, possibly due to poor vision in air (Boveng 2013). Craning his neck the seal tries to see if Tamandua is a seal pup. Pups are born white with a woolly coat of fur & only show markings when they molt at 3-5 weeks old. #2025MMM
Males seals typically are absent for birth & weaning, not showing up until May for mating season. Females often leave pups unattended on the ice (Burns 1981). Maybe there's an early mating chance if the seal waits by the fuzzy thing? The seal gets closer to investigate! #BadDads #2025MMM
Threatened by the approaching seal, the Tamandua rears up on its hind legs to better defend itself with long curved claws that can easily tear away at termite nests when foraging (Hayssen 2011). #2025MMM
Under continued duress the Taumandu backs up. In the forest it will back into a tree or rock to protect itself while facing an attacker. Unfortunately here there is only the edge of the ice, & with a small splash the Tamandua tumbles into the freezing ocean. #2025MMM
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#MMMAfterDark