According to the science journal NATURE, a Spanish biologist has reported that female Egyptian vultures are attracted to the male Egyptian vultures whose faces are the brightest yellow.
Unfortunately for the male Egyptian vultures, the only way their faces become yellow is by eating their own poop. The more poop they eat, the brighter yellow their faces become.
It seems their poop contains carotenoid, a yellow pigment that is often found in animal fat. When the vultures swallow the carotenoid, it makes their face turn yellow.
And why are the females attracted by this? Apparently it’s a sign of strength and health in the male vulture. Because vulture poop, like all poop, contains so much bacteria, only the strongest males can eat enough poop to produce a bright yellow color on their face and still survive.
Isn’t nature wonderful?
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