In order to maintain their beauty, flamingos can actually put on their own makeup!

There are not many animals that have become internet celebrities purely based on their looks, and even fewer that can maintain long-term popularity. Among them, the flamingo is a big internet celebrity.

Flamingos can be regarded as the originator of Internet celebrities in the animal world.

Image credit: Raimund Linke

We have talked about flamingos several times. If you have seen them, you will know that flamingos are actually a common name. Their official Chinese name is "red flamingo". There are 6 species of flamingos in the world, namely the greater flamingo, the lesser flamingo, the American flamingo, the Andean flamingo, the Peruvian flamingo and the Chilean flamingo.

They are found throughout America, Africa, Europe and Asia, and are loved by people for their long slender legs, gracefully curved necks, and pink, romantic feathers.

If you want to know why their feathers are so pink, serious students may say that it is because the shrimps and algae they eat are rich in astaxanthin, which undergoes several chemical reactions in the body of the flamingo and turns into pink carotenoids. (If you don't know, please go to the link at the end of the article to learn more)

There is nothing wrong with this statement, but scientists have recently made a new discovery - flamingos can not only rely on food to maintain their pink color, but the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) can also "makeup" themselves!

This has to start with carotenoids. The carotenoids that make the flamingo's body pink are not static. They will decompose under solar radiation... In other words, if the food supply is insufficient and there is too much sun, the flamingo is likely to fade!

Image credit: imageBROKER/Mara Brandl

Maria Cecilia Chiale, a biologist at the National University of La Plata in Argentina, and other researchers conducted an experiment:

They collected some neck feathers from some dead flamingos, placed half on the roof, exposed to the sun, and the other half in a small dark room.

Forty days later, they analyzed the color of the feathers and found that the feathers exposed to sunlight were lighter in color than those in the dark.

Flamingos may become fading birds

What about fading?

A study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution shows that flamingos maintain their pink color by applying a secretion to their feathers, which is produced by the pygotypic glands near their tails.

The way a flamingo combs its feathers is similar to how you comb your hair.

They use their cheeks to spread the secretion onto their feathers and move their necks to make sure the "cosmetics" stick to the feathers.

Studies have shown that feathers with thicker preen gland secretions are brighter and longer-lasting than feathers with less or no secretions.

Crazy Heartbeat

Image credit: Johann van Heerden

Flamingos are social creatures, and maintaining this "blush" is key to attracting the opposite sex. During the mating season, flamingos will actively apply this homemade "blush" on their neck feathers to prevent their feathers from turning white. It's as if to say, "I'm healthy, come and see me!"

The Flamingo in the Middle: Who am I? Where am I?

Image source: Sarawut

Source | discovery.com

Translation | Kang Jiani

WeChat Editor | Ah She Shuang

Museum