Many of us grew up loving ducks. We joyfully ran after the ducks and were touched by how cute they are. Silly quacking, with large, spade-like feet, ducks are generally considered charming and funny birds. They swim in our rivers and lakes minding their own business or eating the bread crumbs we throw at them. Donald Duck is a beloved character all over the world despite not wearing pants.
However, ducks are not as cute and innocent as they seem. There is a dark side to these birds that many people don't know about or don't even realize. Sometimes ducks are sometimes rude and cruel. They have strange body parts and strange behavior that you don't often see in other animals.
For too long, ducks have been considered harmless and stupid. For too long the public has been ignorant of the dark side of our cute ducks.
10 Duck Penises
Photo: National Geographic
Did you know that a duck penis is shaped like a corkscrew? The penis is hidden in a special bag at the bottom of the duck's body, but when it straightens out, it can reach 20 centimeters. This is about a quarter of the length of the entire body of the bird. If we compare with a man, then in the ratio the size of the penis is equal to the length of the forearm. You will be even more surprised by the fact that 97% of bird species do not have a penis.
To make matters worse, a duck's penis is sharp and has many backward-curved spines. This is done on purpose so that he sticks into the female. The spikes, like a hundred sharp hooks, cling to the female's vagina and prevent her from escaping.
Another difference between a mammalian penis (such as a human) and a duck penis is that the male duck "unwraps" his penis directly into the female's vagina, without having to do so before sex. The male duck simply climbs onto the female, and then in one motion "hooks" her, as if with a hook.
9. Marriage ritual
Photo: taringa.net
How did female ducks evolve to deal with the terrifying genitals of their male partners? In females, the vagina is twisted counterclockwise, which allows the male penis to be deflected, which is twisted clockwise. In addition, females have false passages that prevent full penetration.
But, good God, why is this necessary? Because ducks constantly rape each other.
These forced copulations caused the female to evolve in what scientists call a "sexual arms race." The scarier the male genitalia, the more intricate and tricky the female genitalia. It just goes to show that female ducks don't enjoy this brutal, forced copulation.
Ducks often have gang rapes. Yes exactly. It is not uncommon for a single female to be chased and raped by three to six males. On the other hand, if a female is in a relationship with a "grooming" partner, she may relax certain muscles to ensure that her beloved partner's sperm will fertilize her eggs.
Only about 3 percent of forced copulations result in ducklings, which makes us feel a little better. But not much.
8. Real killer
If you've ever lived near a lake, or had frequent contact with ducks, you've most likely seen one duck being violent while sitting on another duck. And even kills another duck. Mating season for ducks is a brutal time, especially for females, as we discussed earlier.
But from time to time ducks drown each other during mating. Most females lose at least a few feathers on the nape and neck due to biting by males during forced fertilization, but some females even lose their eyes.
Sometimes people also commit atrocities against ducks. A popular local Texas duck named George was brutally murdered in 2013, prompting The Humane Society and San Antonio Crime Stoppers to offer a big bounty for the criminals.
George the duckling was a very friendly bird and pulled everyone by the legs. Eating leftovers from local restaurants, it was a major tourist attraction. But despite a $10,000 reward, no suspects were ever caught.
7. Diseases transmitted by duck feces
Excrement has never been safe. Around most lakes and rivers where ducks and geese swim, excrement accumulates and turns into little stinky white mounds. Ducks poop all over the place, and it's no surprise that too much duck droppings can lead to health problems in us and other species.
The Centers for Disease Control warns that duck droppings may contain microbes that are dangerous to humans, such as E. coli and salmonella. Many people who keep a duck or goose as a pet become infected with salmonella every year. In 2016, 895 cases were reported among bird owners. Of course, many cases remain unreported. Salmonellosis is not usually life-threatening, but can cause severe diarrhea and nausea.
However, bird droppings can contain carriers of up to 60 different diseases, some of which are very harmful to humans. Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease spread by a fungus that grows on dried duck droppings and can be fatal. Honestly, it's better to just stay away from any kind of excrement. But duck droppings seem to be everywhere. So beware, ducks can kill you.
6. The hard life of ducklings
Many ducklings, those tiny, cute babies that follow their mothers across the pond, don't make it to adulthood. The survival rate is terrible: only about 60 percent of them turn into adult ducks.
Whether a duckling survives depends on many factors. For example, bad weather. It is known that hail is responsible for the death of a record number of these babies. However, the habitat is the first factor influencing the survival rate of ducklings. A good habitat where the family can take shelter from bad weather and predators is essential. But with more and more cities and man-made ponds being built, a place like this is hard to come by.
The duckling is also an ideal prey for a range of other animals. Even fish can swim up to the surface of the water and swallow it. A fairly large goby will easily eat a duckling.
Hawks, foxes, snakes and turtles will enjoy ducklings. These chicks are almost helpless until they reach maturity at 50-70 days old when they can finally fly. But they can never fly away from the evil that lives within them.
5. Gastroliths
Imagine yourself wandering the beach, picking up any sharp rocks you can find, then stuffing them into your mouth. You swallow sharp stones and they end up in your tiny second stomach. It is called the muscular stomach. Most birds have one.
Why do ducks swallow sharp stones and pebbles? To grind fish bones, which they swallow whole. That's right, they assemble their own set of teeth. They are called gastroliths.
As soon as the stones become dull, the ducks will rip them out and go looking for new stones. This means that, in theory, you can pick up a nice, rounded stone that has been in a duck's stomach.
Sometimes ducks swallow more than just rocks. There are many examples of miners finding real gold in the stomachs of ducks and other birds. The gold diggers simply followed the ducks to where they scratched the ground and found rich gold veins. Other fearless people in the era of the gold rush even collected bird droppings, trying to find gold in it.
4. Duck eyelids
Photo: Gouldingken
Did you know that ducks have better eyesight than dogs? Ducks can see in full color, and because their eyes are placed on the sides, they can see almost 360-degrees around.
Ducks have two to three times better eyesight than humans. Although these birds have very poor night vision, the duck's eye contains cones that we don't have. This allows them to see in ultraviolet light.
In addition, they have a strange third eyelid. However, this is not entirely unusual. All birds have three eyelids. These "nictitating membranes" are used as diving goggles to improve the duck while diving. A host of other animals boast the same age. If you look closely, you can see it in the dog.
3. Cold and insensitive duck feet
Photo: ducks.org
Ducks are like strange, bionic terminator birds. Their body anatomy is very specific because they deal with cold winter lakes, leading a waterfowl lifestyle.
We all know that ducks have webbed feet, but did you know that a duck can restrict blood flow to your feet? As the temperature drops, less blood will flow to the extremities. So the duck will be able to swim in cold water and stand comfortably on the ice.
Duck legs change color during the mating season. Just like the red butt of a baboon, the legs of birds swell and turn bright red when they start looking for a mate. The legs of both males and females retain this coloration until summer, when they turn gray again to blend in with their surroundings.
2. Duck vigilance 
You can never catch a duck by surprise. They see everything and are always on their guard. It's horrible. It is difficult for predators to sneak up on an adult duck, and hunters will tell you to remain perfectly still and fully camouflaged while waiting for a shot.
Ducks have been proven to sleep with one eye open. If they sleep in a group, they almost always line up. The duck at the end of the line will keep one eye open to keep an eye out for predators.
A 1999 study revealed something interesting about ducks' sleep patterns. While one eye is open, only half of the duck's brain is asleep, while the other half is awake. They can turn off half of the brain.
1. Grand flight 
The grand flight sounds like something sublime and majestic, something a rich duck would do before diving into a pile of gold coins. It doesn't look like a scene from a horror movie at all.
A grand flight happens when the entire duck population goes crazy. This usually happens as a result of strange weather conditions- sometimes a massive cold front forces millions of birds to migrate at once. This phenomenon happens from time to time, but huge duck clouds always annoy and frighten people on the ground.
Sometimes there are so many birds that airports are paralyzed and planes must wait until the mass of birds has moved on before they can resume operations. A huge number of ducks can jam radar systems and darken the sky.
A grand flight is a frightening sight, but ducks will always fly right over us humans. We are fortunate that no death by duck has yet been reported.
Holidays in the Dominican Republic are extremely popular among our compatriots. But, some remoteness of this resort island from Russia allows tour operators to deftly disguise its small, but extremely curious for the resting brethren, shortcomings. If you look closely, dangers in the Dominican Republic lurk at every turn.
Haitians
Let's start with the simplest. Dominican Republic splits the territory of the island of Haiti into a pair with the state of the same name. The state of Haiti, in terms of economic development, is significantly lower than the Dominican Republic. Accordingly, many black migrants regularly, by hook or by crook, make their way from the west of the island to its eastern part. They do not find work in a new place soon, but they want to eat. Therefore, try to bypass the dark-skinned French-speaking idlers or their organized group. The highest probability of meeting them is in the vicinity of the capital of Santo Domingo and along south coast islands. Northern part and the Punto Cana area, for unknown reasons, is of no interest to them.
infections
The history of infectious diseases on the island has become a kind of chip. It has long passed into the category of a favorite legend, the riddle about syphilis. Until now, they have not found out who infected whom with it, the Indians of the crew of Christopher Columbus or vice versa. But if you consider that the largest percentage of Miss Universe title holders falls on girls from the Dominican Republic. Then, communication with island beauties should be approached competently, and protect yourself from a bunch of venereal diseases, which has increased significantly since Columbus times. The cholera epidemic on the island has passed into a sluggish stage, like tuberculosis in our country. But here, it’s enough to wash your hands more often and not communicate with asocial elements, especially with French-speaking mulattos.
Typhoons
That gentle and warm climate that attracts guests from all over the world is the reason for numerous, varying degrees of power, typhoons that come with Atlantic Ocean. For this reason, hotels here are not built directly on sea shore, but at some distance. And it is better for tourists to come in a relatively calm, windless period from December to April. 
earthquakes
Another natural joy in Haiti is the potential seismicity of the region. The island is located in the zone of the Alpine mountain-building era, which has not yet ended. Now only the relief is being formed. But there are also pluses. The island will become even more beautiful in the future, with mountains that have grown up. Volcanoes may appear on it and thermal springs. Warm mineral water it will be possible to fill pools and jacuzzis, as they do in Heviz and Mukachevo. And tourists just need to keep in mind the possibility of an earthquake, remember where they left their documents and be glad that the intensity of seismic waves is the lowest in the southeast of the island - the area of La Romana, Punto Cana and Saona Island.
voodoo
Tourists who came to the island for the first time should know that in addition to official Catholicism, the voodoo religion has been preserved in the central provinces of the island. To be careful or to seek meetings with its priests yourself is up to the guests of the island.
Diving
The sea in the south of the island is very shallow, densely overgrown coral reefs. Who loves diving, at a depth to the waist, or relaxing with children - will do just fine. The sea in the north, in the Puerto Plato region, is much deeper, with good waves and depths. For surfers, this place is ideal, but only for them.
Many sunken ships around the island attract adventurers from all over the world. The gold of the Indians, the jewels of the conquistadors really lie at the bottom caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. But think three times whether it is worth getting them from the bottom on the high seas, with a dubious crew and, unknown in your hotel, the captain.
sharks
Swimming in the open sea from a yacht may not appeal to those guests who are not used to swimming in a flock of different-sized sharks since childhood. Golden American youth at one time amused themselves by hand-feeding these cartilaginous fish. But they got used to it, and now they throw themselves at every yacht, like at a free canteen.
As a result, the Dominican Republic is a wonderful resort, and minor flaws can be found in any country. If you are prepared and warned about the possible risks of staying on a wonderful island, then the rest will pass like in an advertising, unshadowed by anything, video, and a series of entertainment and pleasures will turn it into the most wonderful pastime of the year.
