The world was not ready for a Twitter debate about animals farting.
But a Twitterstorm was brewing – just a few weeks after scientists had a raging discussion about which animal has the #bestspots – and it led to one of the most hilarious debates ever.
It started when Daniella Rabaiotti, a PhD student at the Zoological Society of London, asked David Steen, an ecologist at Auburn University in Alabama, whether snakes fart.
@AlongsideWild a family member asked me the other day if snakes fart and i did not know the answer to their question. So do they? ????
— Dani Rabaiotti (@DaniRabaiotti) January 8, 2017
Here’s what Steen replied.
yes.
— David Steen, Ph.D. (@AlongsideWild) January 8, 2017
And so the debate began. Biologists, ecologists and zoologists amused themselves online by listing animals that break wind.
For the record, spotted #hyenas fart, burp and puke. A real treat to work with them! #DoesItFart #GlamourShot #SciComm #Wildlife #VDM #Tiere pic.twitter.com/c1hTxXP8OM
— Hyena Project (@HyenaProject) January 12, 2017
Don't know if it's been covered yet, but yes, bonobos fart. A lot. And loudly. #DoesItFart
— Kirsty Graham (@kirstyegraham) January 12, 2017
#DoesItFart by the numbers (non-existent taxa excluded) pic.twitter.com/pyMPJgCoyU
— Dr. Jeff Clements (@biolumiJEFFence) January 10, 2017
@DaniRabaiotti FYI rats fart and sometimes they fart on me pic.twitter.com/l0Om8V81Bb
— Julie Blommaert (@Julie_B92) January 9, 2017
Even the non-scientists were enjoying it.
#doesitfart is the best thing to ever happen on science twitter ??
— Sami (@_RedheadSaid) January 12, 2017
Then Nicholas Caruso, a PhD candidate at Alabama University, decided to start creating a fart database on Google Sheets, because why not?
Editable (let me know if it doesn't work) google sheet, for all your #DoesItFart needs
Feel free to share & update!https://t.co/6doRyMXDS2 https://t.co/eQaobC5r8k— Nick Caruso (@PlethodoNick) January 8, 2017
Marine biologist Jeff Clements, from the University of Prince Edward Island, is seeing a bright future in this area of research.
I see an open access review paper in the near future… #DoesItFart
— Dr. Jeff Clements (@biolumiJEFFence) January 10, 2017
Even though he claimed he was joking.
My last tweet was a joke, but you could totally write a paper arguing for more basic research on species' natural history using #DoesItFart
— Dr. Jeff Clements (@biolumiJEFFence) January 10, 2017
Then, excited about the progress the internet was making on #DoesItFart, scientists started a second debate – #DoesItPuke.
We could also start #DoesItPuke. DYK horses can't vomit? Esophageal sphincter is too strong for backwards pressure. https://t.co/VoVueemuPd
— Aerin Jacob (@Aerin_J) January 9, 2017
Baboons vomit but instead of getting rid they keep it in their cheek pouches and re-eat it. Which is grim. But resourceful #DoesItPuke https://t.co/VNMuswCmvh
— Cassandra Raby (@Cassie_Raby) January 9, 2017
3 cats, definitely yes to #DoesItFart. Mostly in the vicinity of a human face. Also #DoesItPuke? Most definitely. ??
— Captain Herder (@Captain_Herder) January 9, 2017
Ewwww! Birds are gross. Four legs good, two legs bad. Seabirds #DoesItPuke –> YES. https://t.co/pgOvCU5pY1
— Aerin Jacob (@Aerin_J) January 9, 2017
Long live science!