Hamburg – Have you ever wondered why ducks don’t get their feet stuck on frozen water when the temperature is freezing? Behind the phenomenon is a special blood circuit. It ensures that colder blood flows in the feet of waterfowl than in the body, informs the German Wildlife Foundation about nature’s ingenious trick.
Ducks with warm feet would melt the ice and freeze in the melt water. That can only happen in long-lasting frosts or when an animal is sick or injured, says wildlife biologist Prof. Klaus Hackländer. Normally, the approximately 40 degrees warm arterial blood from the heart flows past the much colder venous blood from the legs and cools down so much that the webbed feet cool down to zero degrees.
Another trick to keep you from freezing
Another survival trick: ducks’ coverts lie on top of each other like roof tiles, trapping air and creating insulation. According to Hackländer, ducks also grease their feathers with an oily and water-repellent secretion from their preen gland. The water just rolls off it.
Despite these strategies, ducks have to conserve their strength and save energy in winter. Therefore, you should avoid scaring them or even prevent your dog from rousing them. Feeding is also unnecessary. That only attracts pigeons and rats. Ducks find enough food all year round, according to the Wildlife Foundation.
