Gay Penguins' Sacrifices For Species Diversity

[Schneibster]

Yes, really.

Turns out gay penguins isn't a new thing- yearling penguins often form male pair-bonds, and, well, the plumbing is... hmmm, kinda different. So it works. I guess.

Good for them.

Meanwhile, however, it turns out that one such pair in a Toronto zoo are members of an endangered species of penguins. So in order to preserve species diversity (!) (yes really) they have to attempt to persuade them to mate with females when the females come into estrus next season.

Think of the children.

Enjoy.

[Tero]

Yes the plumbing works fine, but when stuff comes out of both cloaca...hmmm?

[Schneibster]

I think it's cute.

[Seth]

"Gay" penguins my ass...

Penguins ‘are flirty, not gay’
by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk for PinkNews.co.uk
21 October 2010, 5:20pm
Email this Pink News story
Gay penguins have been well-documentedGay penguins have been well-documented

A new study says that penguins who engage in same-sex mating displays are flirty, rather than gay.

Incidences of homosexuality in the species have been well-documented and one male penguin couple at San Francisco Zoo were together for six years before splitting up in 2009.

However, researchers at the Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology in Montpellier, France, say that the birds could be engaging in same-sex mating rituals because there were too many males or because the males have too much testosterone.

They found evidence of same-sex penguin couples in the wild but discovered that over time, the vast majority of the birds formed heterosexual relationships.

More than a quarter of the birds surveyed in one king penguin colony engaged in mating displays with the same sex.

However, only two couples – one male and one female – bonded enough to learn each other’s calls.

One theory is that penguins develop closeness with the same sex because there are not enough birds of the opposite sex.

Another theory said that penguins find it difficult to tell the difference between males and females and ended up pairing off randomly.

Director of Research Professor Stephen Dobson told the BBC that the second theory was unlikely.

“I found that the rate of homosexually displaying pairs was significantly lower than one would expect by chance,” he said.

Referring to the two couples who learned each other’s calls, Professor Dobson added: “So these pairs can bond. But, bonded pairs can split up if one finds a more preferred partner.”

The study was published in the journal Ethology.

[maiforpeace]

I think it's cute.

The penguins, or being gay?

Gay penguins, my ass...

[Drewish]

That size queen dumped me for an emperor penguin!

[Pappa]

My favourite bit.

Another theory said that penguins find it difficult to tell the difference between males and females and ended up pairing off randomly.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I wonder if polar bears eat gay penguins.

[Schneibster]

Just a guess here but I'm going with "yes."

[Gawdzilla Sama]