entry smap 244: male mallard


Mallard ducks Anas platyrhynchos must be one of the most common ducks in the world. they manage to thrive in a great variety of climates, including the harsh northern winters of Norway.

the males or drakes are easily identified with their bright green heads, brown breast, orange legs and feet

here are 2 drakes and a hen (female) together. the difference between the sexes is very pronounced but while making this post i learned a peculiar fact.

when i googled 'mallard' the AI listed an odd question:
Can a female mallard turn into a male?
curiously clicking on that revealed:
Female ducks are born with two ovaries but only one develops. The left ovary actively pumps out hormones to stifle the male genes, making the bird truly female. If a disease damages the only ovary and it stops producing hormones the female duck spontaneously turns into a male

when i asked this drake if what my AI had informed me was correct, this was his reaction



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