Edinburgh Zoo's gentoo penguins have started building 'sex nests' to 誘惑する in lovers ahead of mating season

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Whether it's splashing out on flowers or cooking up a delicious meal, everyone has their own way of impressing a 可能性のある partner.?

But for these house-proud penguins, it's all about having the swankiest bachelor pad.?

As mating season approaches,?Edinburgh Zoo's gentoo penguins are busy getting their nests in proper order.

Using nest （犯罪の）一味s and a collection of pebbles 供給するd by the zookeepers, male penguins have been carefully choosing the perfect 石／投石するs to 誘惑する in a lover.

But there might be trouble in 楽園, as penguins frequently 捨てる to get 持つ／拘留する of the best 石／投石するs for themselves.?

At Edinburgh Zoo male gentoo penguins are busy 集会 up their favourite pebbles to try and 勝利，勝つ over their i 取引，協定 partner?

Gentoo Penguins are 初めは from Antarctica so can only build their nests from pebbles. This means that choosing the 権利 pebble is 重要な to finding a mate

Edinburgh Zoo is home to the largest outdoor penguin pool in Europe with three different 種類 and more than 100 individuals.

A large number of those are gentoo penguins -?a small 種類 初めは from the 南極の.?

In the wild, these characterful birds make their nests on the rocky shores where they gather up the smooth pebbles to build nests.?

And, just like humans, these penguins also 提案する by giving each other a nice shiny 激しく揺する.

Male penguins will select the smoothest pebble from their nest to 現在の to their 可能性のある partner.

If she thinks the 申し込む／申し出ing is good enough then the 女性（の） will take the 石／投石する and place it on the nest.?

Male penguins will 現在の 女性（の）s with the best pebble from their nest as a for m of 提案?

If the 女性（の） penguin 受託するs the pebble she will take it and place it on the next. The pair will then work together to build a nest, mate, and raise two eggs?

The couple will then work together to build up a nest, where the 女性（の） will lay two spherical eggs.

Gentoo penguins are 充てるd parents and often form long-継続している 社債s.

During the 33 to 35-day incubation period, the parents will take it in turns to keep the egg warm while the other forages for food.?

This year, the first eggs should be laid in April and we should see the first chicks beginning to hatch in May.

After about three to four months, these chicks will be old enough to leave the nest and will join a large?cr?che of other chicks where they learn to swim and 料金d.?

This year, to help the penguins find their perfect partner, Edinburgh Zoo has 供給するd the penguins with a collection of painted pebbles.

The 激しく揺するs were painted by?children 存在 supported by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity at the?王室の Hospital for Children and Young People.

This year, Edinburgh Zoo 供給するd the penguins with colourful 激しく揺するs painted by children at the 王室の Hospital for Children and Young People?

Pebbles are very important to gentoo penguins because, in the wild, they would help keep their eggs elevated off the ice and snow?

The penguins carefully choose pebbles that would 許す snow and water to drain away, 確実にするing that the eggs stays warm and 乾燥した，日照りの throughout their month-long incubation period

But, these pebbles are so important to the males' chances of finding a mate that it does いつかs lead to squabbles.?

On the frozen coastlines of Antarctica, 構成要素s for building nests can be hard to find.

Some penguins will even dive 負かす／撃墜する to the sea bed to find pebbles, meaning it can take days if not weeks to build the 権利 nest.

直面するd with this daunting 仕事, some penguins will turn to a life of 罪，犯罪 and will try to steal the best pebbles from their 競争相手s' nests.

犯罪の couples may even try to ハイジャック（する） another pair's nest altogether if it is left unattended for too long.? ?

Some penguins find it easier to turn to a life of 罪，犯罪, stealing the best pebbles from their 競争相手's nests ーするために build up their own?

競争 for the best pebbles is 猛烈な／残忍な and often leads to neighbourly squabbles の中で the zoo's 居住（者）s?

But this isn't just a 事柄 of aesthetic choices or neighbourly jealousy.

Without twigs, 支店s, or leaves to build their nests from, pebbles are all the gentoo penguins can use to keep their eggs 安全な.

A solid base of pebbles keeps the egg elevated above the 氷点の ground and snow, 確実にするing it can 生き残る incubation.

Choosing the 権利 pebbles means that water or snow can drain away from the nest rather than building up on the surface.

This means that building a good sturdy nest can be the difference between 首尾よく raising a chick or the egg failing to hatch.?

So, even though the eggs aren't likely to 凍結する in the Scottish spring, squabbles and fights are very ありふれた の中で the zoo's 居住（者）s as 産む／飼育するing season approaches.?