Kathryn and the Blue-Footed Booby

One animal trait I have always found fascinating is that of the feet of the Blue-Footed Booby. Why are they like that? In what situations are blue feet a beneficial trait? It turns out that the current hypothesis actually has to do with the diet of the blue-footed booby. The pigments present in the diet of the boobies likely concentrate in their feet, causing that pigment to affect their foot color. Higher concentrations lead to more vibrant blue feet. If the color of their feet is a result of their diet, why have their feet not increased the amount of predation experienced by the boobies? Can predators not see their blue feet from miles away? It is questions like these that remind me why I am so interested in science and the scientific method.

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