A fierce competition has been raging on Twitter over the weekend, with rivals vying for attention and factions picking their champions.
The competition? A #CuteOff. Instigated by Anne Hilborn, the same ecologist who started the recent #JunkOff hashtag that inspired scientists to post pictures of increasingly incredible critter genitalia, the Cute Off gained steam when the Herpetology Society of Ireland, frankly, brought it.
Luckily Twitter is built on a public platform… so everyone decided to get involved & show off their cute!
Here’s some of the best, cutest & oddest!
Introducing the flatback turtle. From Australia. Loves travelling & the Great Barrier Reef #CuteOff @jcu @CoastalJCU pic.twitter.com/EVjC5yOTU7
— Mark Hamann (@turtlesatJCU) September 1, 2015
A #CuteOff, you say? Here is an eastern red-backed salamander from a herp survey. *drops tiny mic, scuttles off* pic.twitter.com/cqVu0X81vG
— Rosemary Mosco (@RosemaryMosco) September 1, 2015
baby elephant is so pleased with his trunk#cuteoff pic.twitter.com/zdqRtVePus
— Anne Hilborn (@AnneWHilborn) August 31, 2015
Because what's cuter than four piping plover chicks? (hint: the answer is nothing) #CuteOff pic.twitter.com/cs8acQprNK
— Kelsi Hunt (@hunt0382) August 31, 2015
Endangered baby Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit enters the #CuteOff pic.twitter.com/oh6SSbIKlZ
— Oregon Zoo (@OregonZoo) September 4, 2015
Whatever you call them–tardigrades, water bears, moss piglets–they sure are cute! #CuteOff http://t.co/anPPQVdy06 pic.twitter.com/4zWrr4rvip
— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) September 1, 2015
I present you Pteromys momonga, as my entry into this #CuteOff contest.http://t.co/cPc2rtCnuH pic.twitter.com/JecnCEo9Ba
— Benjamin Burger (@benjamin_burger) September 1, 2015
#CuteOff certainly needs some piscine representatives pic.twitter.com/f825Q23Ey6
— Fluvial Fishes Lab (@donaldorth) August 31, 2015
Let's just make it clear, this old pic of my friend Haui-san pretty much takes #CuteOff to a whole new level. pic.twitter.com/Kd7M0nNJEf
— Rick Schwartz tweets animals (@ZooKeeperRick) September 1, 2015
baby echidnas are called puggles. 'nuff said. #CuteOff #TeamMammal pic.twitter.com/RvVQVGWZvq
— Alexandra DeCandia (@alliesaurusdee) September 1, 2015
