Scientists and Journalists Still Obsessed With Duck Sex

It's a well-established fact that ducks are having , but new research shows they're also having safer sex while they're doing it. Duck semen kills germs--protecting sperm from damaging bacteria--and lady ducks might be able to tell which guy ducks have the most antibacterial semen just by looking at how colorful their beaks are, the BBC's reports. Scientists already knew that female ducks considered beak beauty when picking mates. But now they realize that a handsome beak indicates stronger sperm and a lower risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Mallards with bright yellow pigments had the semen that was the most lethal to bacteria, researchers at the University of Oslo found. This is not even close to being the first article about ducks' dating life, which, by the way, makes the human singles scene look absolutely delightful. Ducks must try to find their one true love (for the mating season) in the midst of an evolutionary genital arms race. A lot of duck sex is rape, Radiolab's explained a few years ago. So lady ducks have evolved labyrinthine vaginas to protect their eggs from hostilely-fired sperm. Their vaginal canals are long, have offramps that lead to dead ends, and twist the opposite direction of duck penises. Male ducks' corkscrewing penises, on the other hand, are , Discover reminds us: they evert straight into their partner's vagina. Here is a video of that corkscrewing phallus, because you just really do have to watch it. For science! Also, for the journalists that just can't let you forget that somewhere out there, a duck is mating--and a scientist is watching.