If you are feeling down, check out these tweets from scientists trying to figure out which animal is the cutest.
Not too long ago, scientists got into a friendly, informal competition on Twitter to discover the cutest animal. They used the hashtag #CuteOff and graced us with hundreds of photos of adorable animals, insects, and other creatures.
The mastermind behind the most adorable Twitter hashtag in a long time is Anne Hilborn, an ecologist who had previously started the hashtag #JunkOff. That other hashtag encouraged scientists to share photos of critter genitalia. While that was an interesting trend, the #CuteOff is much more interesting for the general public and appropriate for all ages to enjoy.
Although the hashtag began with Hilborn, the Herpetology Society of Ireland helped spread the word.
They joined the fun with this photo of a tiny reptile:
In a comment, they explained that this is Zootoca vivipara, which is the most common lizard in Ireland, and shared a link to read about the adorable animal.
As you look at many of the entries, you will notice they also include hashtags for various fields, such as #TeamEntomology for bugs, #TeamMammal, and #TeamHerpetology for reptiles.
One of the entries for #TeamMammal was this set of adorable squirrel monkeys.
Posted by Christopher Schmitt, they are sleeping and cuddling, very worth of the hashtag #SQUEE.
Among numerous other monkey entries, this one submitted by Alexander Georgiev is sure to catch your eye.
The baby monkey in question is living up to his name and “monkeying around,” or working on his motor skills.
Some entries in the #CuteOff were videos instead of photos.
This video posted by Helen Murphy of a baby penguin being tickled is certainly a top competitor.
One of the great things about the #CuteOff was that it included creatures we don’t commonly think of adorable in addition to a slew of mammals.
Amado Guloy entered a smiling snail, which is technically a Chromodoris sp. That is part of the nudibranch group of mollusks.
The hashtag was also the perfect chance for Twitter users to learn about new animals they may not have heard of.
When Parks Australia shared this image of a northern quoll, there is a good chance that the average person had never seen one of these critters before.
The Museum of Natural History showed the world how cute tardigrades can be.
For those who were inspired by these moss piglets or water bears, the tweet even included a link to more information on the creatures.
The Oregon Zoo used the #CuteOff as the perfect opportunity to teach Twitter users about endangered species.
The baby Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit it shared is hopefully adorable enough to encourage people to take steps to protect this animal so it doesn’t go extinct.
Some scientists chose to use this as a chance to teach us more about various animals.
Alexandra DeCandia, for example, taught us that the technical term for a baby echidna is a puggle, complete with adorable picture.
We also got some proof that even some of the most hated insects can be downright adorable.
This jumping spider is easily one of the cutest entries in the hashtag contest, yet most of us would not want to come across one on a normal day.
Some bugs even participated by waving.
This creature posted by Bea’s Bugs even has its own set of antenna that looks somewhat like antlers, making it perfect for reindeer jokes.
For an even better wave, look no further than this frog posted by Jodi Rowley.
He was an entry for #TeamHerpetology. Rowley explained that this friendly amphibian is a Rufous-eyed Brook frog, with the scientific name Duellmanohyla rufioculis.
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I’ll never win a #cuteoff, I spend too much time taking pics of carcasses and pooping animals. And genitalia. https://t.co/u6pCVefkXg
— Anne Hilborn (@AnneWHilborn) August 31, 2015
