2007-02-21 05:51:54 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Among other items:
"Flamingos eat a lot of clams and shrimp and various crustaceans and algae, and these food items contain something called a corotenoid pigment, which is similar to astaxanthin.
And what is astaxanthin? Don't ask. I don't know.
Anyway, when the proteins containing this pigment are metabolized they turn pink and dissolve in fats and get deposited in the feathers."
2007-02-21 05:56:27 · answer #1 · answered by Yahzmin ♥♥ 4ever 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Young flamingos hatch with grey plumage, but the feathers of an adult range from light pink to bright red due to the pigments obtained from their food supply. A flamingo that is well fed and healthy is vibrantly coloured bright pink and is more desirable as a mate. A white or pale flamingo, however, is usually unhealthy or suffering from a lack of food. Notable exceptions are the flamingos in captivity, many of which turn a pale pink as they are not fed foods containing sufficient amounts of carotene. This is changing as more zoos begin to add shrimp and other supplements to the diets of their flamingos. All flamingos have 12 black flight feathers in each wing.
2007-02-21 05:55:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Feather color varies with species, ranging from pale pink to crimson or vermilion. Caribbean flamingos have the brightest coloration: crimson or vermilion. The Chilean flamingo is pale pink.
A flamingo's pink or reddish feather color comes from its diet, which is high in alpha and beta-carotene. People eat beta-carotene when they eat carrots. Shrimp is also high in alpha and beta-carotene. So to answer your question, yes.
2007-02-21 06:01:40 · answer #3 · answered by ßαDß●Ϋ™ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
eh its a matter of shrimp and other things in its diet. blue green algae , shrimp and anything high in carotene give the flamingo its brilliant pink feathers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingos
2007-02-21 06:47:17 · answer #4 · answered by aNna 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes. shrimp have iodin in them and the iodine is ingested into the flamingo when he eats his hearty breakfast, luch and diner of shrimp. this iodine is absorbed by the flamingo causing the pink shade. it is kind of like when you put iodine on your finger, it stains it a reddish color, well this is basically what happens with the flamingo just from the inside instead!
2007-02-21 05:57:14 · answer #5 · answered by amromine 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
yes so if you would eat nothing but shrimp you would be pink also!
2007-02-21 05:55:54 · answer #6 · answered by na name at all 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
i heard that in the wild they arent really that pink, but in captivity they are pink because they are fed carrots.
2007-02-21 06:02:12 · answer #7 · answered by Exotic Pink 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes. In Flamingo world, you are what you eat...as far as color.
2007-02-21 06:19:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fable!
They eat fish and worms too!
2007-02-21 05:56:19 · answer #9 · answered by JLove 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Lol- that's the funniest thing I've ever heard! Even funnier if it was actually true!
2007-02-21 05:55:45 · answer #10 · answered by candy- capped 5 · 0⤊ 4⤋