Guano colour
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by BellisP
Hello. I wonder if the scientists can explain why some of the guano here seems to be red?
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by vroni moderator
Hi, if I remember correctly, it depends on the diet. The guano is pink/red from the Krill the Penguins eat.
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by BellisP
thank you Vroni
this makes sense of something else too. on some sites the mud looks very red and i wondered how, given that the rocks are grey (not red), but the answer seems to be, it isn't just mud!Posted
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by PenguinHila scientist, translator
You are correct. We sometimes see pink or red guano from diets heavy in krill, while fish and squid remnants tend to color the guano white. Penguins have very rapid, high-throughput digestive systems. What they eat comes out somewhat intact, so we can see claws, shells, and sometimes bones from their prey.
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