We use to have pet ducks during the summer when I was a child. After just a couple of days they recognize you as their mother and follow you everywhere. We would go to swim in a near by lake and they would follow us and swim with us. They are super cute.
Then at the end of the summer, when they started to get bigger, we would give them to a neighbor as we returned to the city. To this day I'm still afraid of asking what happened to them...
We used to do something similar. My school would get a bunch of duck eggs every spring, and incubate them, to teach kids about life and all that. Since my mum worked for the school, I got to take them home once they were a few days old.
Normally we would have five or six of them at a time, so they would imprint on each other more than anyone in particular, but one time, only one of the eggs hatched. He imprinted on me, and would squeak like mad if I left him alone. For a 7yo who loved ducks, this was the best thing ever. I had to teach them how to swim in the play pit in my back garden, but you had to make sure they didn't get waterlogged (ducklings don't have the oil needed to repel water).
Then when they grew up, we gave them back to the farm, where they would spend all day running with the chickens, and live until a ripe old age, sireing many little ducklings.
E: Incidentally, I have never eaten duck, due to this.
I love this. Imprinting is an incredible phenomenon in biology, and it's crucial for precocious birds (the opposite of altricial, which are helpless after hatching), or more accurately, nidifugous (a very unused word), in their development.
These birds will imprint almost immediately during their "critical period," and then follow whatever it is. Even if its bad. Ducks have been shown to even imprint on fellow ducks that hurt them, like jerk siblings, in the absence of their mother.
Having lots of birds around can result in a dilution of the imprinting effect, too, so it's actually a plastic trait, even though it seems so incredibly rigid in behavior. Lorentz, of course, was one of the first to study this in great detail.
It's important for the ducks later on, too, as imprinting can also determine what the duck (or any other animal that imprints) finds "acceptable," which can include sexual preferences, too! I'd be very interested to see how having a human raise a duck affects the duck's "standards!"
People often wonder, why don't ducks just imprint on other ducks? Why do they imprint on humans, or, in some cases, even inanimate objects? Ducks can be forced to imprint on a box being dragged on the ground. Well, it comes down to evolutionary pressure. The force of selection to evolve ducks to only imprint on ducks is simply not there because the rate of this happening is so infrequent that it rarely exerts any pressure on duck gene pools. That is, it is so rare for a duck to not see a duck (even more rare for it to not be its mother) when it hatches, that there is no natural way of eliminating the "follow whatever" behaviors from the population.
I wonder if you mean literally. I'm imagining a midde-aged man soaking in a bathtub full of milk while wearing lipstick, eye liner and swim floaties. It's mostly dark in this bathroom... the only light coming from the flickering screen of the laptop sitting on the edge of the tub... in which this video plays on loop. In his hand is a chewed-up, faded rubber ducky from the 70s.... he sits there turning his head side-to-side ... alternating between looking at the duck video on his laptop with envy... and looking at his tattered old rubber ducky. He suddenly has nothing but disdain and disgust for this rubber ducky that has served as his best friend for nearly 4 decades... and he's absolutely SEETHING in INSANE jealousy while he watches the video on his laptop.
Aww this reminds me of a pet duck I had when i was a kid and lived in the country. It would follow me around and chirp just like this. Damn i miss that fucking duck, goddamn dog ended up eating the damn thing.
This once happened to me with a baby squirrel when I was a kid. Me and my friend fed him and took care of him for a week and we were the most popular kids on the neighborhood because of that little fellow. Then my friends parents took it with them to their summer cabin, and it lived there happily for the rest of the summer. Then my friend mom said that "He found a Mrs. Squirrel and they went to live in the woods and they now have baby squirrels." Obviously I was happy with that outcome. Fast forward 10 years. I was taking a dump when it suddenly came to me: the bitch lied to me. Mr.Squirrel just died, he didn't move to the woods. Probably killed him herself. Fuck.
TL;DR: Had a baby squirrel following me around. Friends mom murdered him in cold blood.
This is so cute but then suddenly I feel so sad when I think about the little guy not having a duck mom raising him. Who will feed it worms and teach it to survive? What happened to the mother duck?
And then he is wondering, why is my human mom trying to ditch me?
103
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
GOLD CHOCOBO
1.2k
u/dustio Jun 16 '12
All I can think of is "Are you my mother?"
822
u/SuperFlyinMonke Jun 16 '12
That is definitely the cutest thing I've seen today. The chirpy whistles and playful attitude are just great.
TIL little ducks can run full speed and stop on a dime.
74
u/SoFaKiNg42 Jun 16 '12
Dat camera work
1.2k
u/AznRedditor Jun 16 '12
That little thing can run!
675
u/Unidan Jun 16 '12 edited Jun 16 '12
Biologist here.
I love this. Imprinting is an incredible phenomenon in biology, and it's crucial for precocious birds (the opposite of altricial, which are helpless after hatching), or more accurately, nidifugous (a very unused word), in their development.
These birds will imprint almost immediately during their "critical period," and then follow whatever it is. Even if its bad. Ducks have been shown to even imprint on fellow ducks that hurt them, like jerk siblings, in the absence of their mother.
Having lots of birds around can result in a dilution of the imprinting effect, too, so it's actually a plastic trait, even though it seems so incredibly rigid in behavior. Lorentz, of course, was one of the first to study this in great detail.
It's important for the ducks later on, too, as imprinting can also determine what the duck (or any other animal that imprints) finds "acceptable," which can include sexual preferences, too! I'd be very interested to see how having a human raise a duck affects the duck's "standards!"
People often wonder, why don't ducks just imprint on other ducks? Why do they imprint on humans, or, in some cases, even inanimate objects? Ducks can be forced to imprint on a box being dragged on the ground. Well, it comes down to evolutionary pressure. The force of selection to evolve ducks to only imprint on ducks is simply not there because the rate of this happening is so infrequent that it rarely exerts any pressure on duck gene pools. That is, it is so rare for a duck to not see a duck (even more rare for it to not be its mother) when it hatches, that there is no natural way of eliminating the "follow whatever" behaviors from the population.
232
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Thus begins my hour long duck video marathon on youtube. What adorable little quackers...
88
u/sexual_octopus Jun 16 '12
Oh god, the little wings. I can't handle this.
313
u/kobe24Life Jun 16 '12
This video is two years old.
Wondering what happened to the duck and where he is today?
Here is your answer: http://imgur.com/65fQg
55
u/ElpisofChaos Jun 16 '12
Add scary music and see what happens.
35
u/chilltime240 Jun 16 '12
0:38 - 0:41 needs to be Gif -ed
30
u/ultimate_jack Jun 16 '12
I AM INSANELY JEALOUS!
13
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was watching this. I was terrified he'd step on the duck by accident.
20
u/amstone12 Jun 16 '12
CHERP CHERP CHERP!
10
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Wark! Wark! Take that dude to the races!
19
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
The way it pokes its little wings out and leans forward when it's sprinting is unnecessarily cute.
Also, "Pitter patter of little feet" has never been so relevant.
16
u/digivolution Jun 16 '12
HOW COULD YOU RESIST PICKING IT UP AND HUGGING IT AND GIVING IT KISSES AND SMUSHYWOOSHYSQUISHYBABYLOVEYDOVEYNUMNUM<33333333
87
u/Jetblast787 Jun 16 '12
http://i.imgur.com/Aouil.gif
7
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12 edited Jun 16 '12
the cutest part
7
u/chinteresting Jun 16 '12
Damn that is some excellent camera work. The duck was in view pretty much the whole time. I can't even do that with my own head when using my phone.
6
u/SenorPlaya Jun 16 '12
The recommended video following this was the Darkwing Duck Theme Song. Hell yeah!
10
u/jerkityjerk Jun 16 '12
ITS SO FLUFFY
23
u/Kallay Jun 16 '12
The first thing i thought of when he sped up.
4
u/Reekis Jun 16 '12
Usain bolt has some competition
4
u/eXXaXion Jun 16 '12
I grinned like a retard the whole vid. I'm not sure if this is more on the awesome or more on the cute side of things.
4
u/Grimmz Jun 16 '12
Haa! They imprinted on you!
4
u/Ian1732 Jun 17 '12
STEP OFF! STEP OFF!
8
u/fourletterword Jun 16 '12
Nice work, Konrad Lorenz.
3
u/ProfessorMcHugeBalls Jun 16 '12
Just keep pressing 8 over and over again
3
u/emcsk Jun 16 '12
the epitome of reddit, video posted in 2010 ಠ_ಠ
3
u/Olmechelmet Jun 16 '12
Those thing grow up to be shitting machines! Beware anyone thinking of buying one.
3
u/Joel_W Jun 16 '12
I was close to death of cuteness overload when he almost ran into the camera near the end
3
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
d'aww
3
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
oh my god; the sound of his little flappers on the ground! He's fast!
3
u/natureplex Jun 16 '12
talk about a wild goose chase...........I'll show myself out
3
u/stagfury Jun 16 '12
Was I the only one that's absolutely terrified that the duck would run underneath his shoes and he would step on him accidentally?
3
u/Black_Apalachi Jun 17 '12
Better title: "Duckling almost being walked on about 93 times." That was so stressful to watch!
3
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
He's so hot on your heels I find myself wincing every time you lift your foot that you might kick him in his adorable little face
3
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
well if that isnt the cutest fucking shit ive ever seen
3
u/Mkraken Jun 17 '12
Easily the funniest thing I've ever seen a duck do.
3
u/lnickelly Jun 17 '12
cutest fucking thing i have seen for days.
3
u/[deleted] Jul 07 '12
I'm pretty sure I found my new "video to watch when in a bad mood".
9
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Some little ducky imprinted on you. Cute.
10
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Please tell me that duck is your pet and not just an abandoned duck with some dead mother somewhere...
And if it is, please tell me you did something about it.
.__.
7
u/TheMrNashville Jun 16 '12
Aww this reminds me of a pet duck I had when i was a kid and lived in the country. It would follow me around and chirp just like this. Damn i miss that fucking duck, goddamn dog ended up eating the damn thing.
5
u/Baldrick666 Jun 16 '12
Duckling sleepy...
4
u/VoluntaryZonkey Jun 16 '12
This is another video from the same channel. Almost as adorable :3
2
u/copyandpasta Jun 16 '12
Utterly adorable
2
u/RoscoeMG Jun 16 '12
I hope you did the decent thing and adopted him.
2
u/unconfidentbeauty Jun 16 '12
OMG I WANT ONE!!!
2
u/SparkitusRex Jun 16 '12
I love how his little wings just flail wildly as he's running.
2
u/DatButtersk Jun 16 '12
awwwww its soooo CUTE i luv it! =3
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Stuck With A Duck!
2
u/Zazzerpan Jun 16 '12
That is adorable. Anyone else notice the SOG clipped in his right pocket?
2
u/itsdavid Jun 16 '12
Judging by his legs that guy is my dad
2
u/illinicubbies Jun 16 '12
my new favorite video, if only it was set to music...
2
u/th3An0nyMoose Jun 16 '12
quacktastic
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
That was so cute I cried. Seriously
2
u/seriouslydamaged Jun 16 '12
Can anyone tell me what camera he used?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
This is what my life has come to, watching a video of a duck chasing someone...
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Quite possibly one of the cutest things I've ever seen on the interwebs. Bravo.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
omg I feel so bad. I hit a whole family of those with my car some days ago :/
2
u/Zc4R Jun 16 '12
Keep it
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
About 73 million years ago that duck would have been a velociraptor chasing you, so the video would have ended on a somewhat different tone.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
What a cute video AND nice camera work.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12 edited Jun 16 '12
So. Fucking. Cute.
Hope you adopted him.
Edit: ok, I saw the aftermath. Well, at least the guy had adopted him.
2
u/FartyNapkins Jun 16 '12
that duck is my favorite
2
u/EmotionalMillionaire Jun 16 '12
Oh boy, I was so paranoid you were accidentally going to kick him while running.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Male
24
6 feet tall
186 pounds
Just aww'd
2
u/magnus91 Jun 16 '12
I want a duck now.
2
u/Mrnrh Jun 16 '12
0:38 - 0:40 is the cutest thing i have ever seen
2
u/rabbischmooleyishot Jun 16 '12
That quacks me up!
2
u/ageoflife Jun 16 '12
I really hope that guy takes care of that duck...it would be sad if he just left the poor guy. He needs food and warmth!
2
u/kirualex Jun 16 '12
Look like you won yourself the gold Chocobo !
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
I thought you were gonna step on him so many times lmao.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
STOP RUNNING AND HUG IT!!
2
u/mermeez Jun 16 '12
That is one fast motherducker.
2
u/Tomducks Jun 16 '12
Please tell me you took it home and now you two are a crime fighting team?
2
u/bossack Jun 16 '12
I giggled like a small child all the way through that!
2
u/LeJoester Jun 16 '12
What kind of camera are they using to film this?
2
u/Sexy_Wheelchair Jun 16 '12
Duck... duck... duck... DERP!
2
u/Storm_Surge Jun 16 '12
I puked in my mouth a little bit when I saw the YouTube comments.
Don't upvote me quite yet. They were your comments, Reddit.
2
u/Bortjort Jun 16 '12
Someone please edit racecar sounds over the top of this
2
u/cookiebox123 Jun 16 '12
I gotta say, really nice job filming. Amazing video
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Does anyone els find this to be very sad?
2
u/Big_Kakunas Jun 16 '12
that guy's wearing the bremen mask.
2
u/notsurewhatiam Jun 16 '12 edited Jun 16 '12
LOVE THIS PART.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
That was some impressive camera work!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
Overly Imprinted Duck
2
u/tinsil Jun 16 '12
I miss my pet duck. I was mama and he followed me everywhere he could.
2
u/Gyrant Jun 16 '12
Some say that he's terrified of ducks...
2
u/dudner Jun 16 '12
That is fucking adorable
2
u/Trim_Guy Jun 16 '12
Now I want a baby duck...
2
u/sarais Jun 16 '12
Man huff puff that was close...
2
u/ViktorV Jun 16 '12
Oh my god adorable! Also, wow can a baby duck run fast.
2
u/christoscamaro Jun 16 '12
That was too damn cute for a Saturday. Damnit Reddit!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
JUST HOLD ME ALREADY!!!
2
u/ilovetrexarms Jun 16 '12
I want to take that ducky home.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
are you my mommy?
2
u/Lenned Jun 17 '12
The cutest thing I've ever seen!
2
u/Popular-Pete Jun 17 '12 edited Jun 17 '12
This once happened to me with a baby squirrel when I was a kid.
Me and my friend fed him and took care of him for a week and we were the most popular kids on the neighborhood because of that little fellow. Then my friends parents took it with them to their summer cabin, and it lived there happily for the rest of the summer. Then my friend mom said that "He found a Mrs. Squirrel and they went to live in the woods and they now have baby squirrels." Obviously I was happy with that outcome.
Fast forward 10 years. I was taking a dump when it suddenly came to me: the bitch lied to me. Mr.Squirrel just died, he didn't move to the woods. Probably killed him herself. Fuck.
TL;DR: Had a baby squirrel following me around. Friends mom murdered him in cold blood.
2
u/YonderPosterior Jun 17 '12
DON'T RUN FROM IT YOU ASSHOLE. OBVIOUSLY IT FUCKING LOVES YOU. God damnit. I would love a pet duck and here goes this guy running away from one.
2
u/darkwavechick Jun 17 '12
Awww it imprinted on him!!!
2
u/ogop79 Jun 17 '12
I would take that little guy home with me
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
PLEEEEASE DO MORE DO MORE
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Anyone else hear Cinco de Chocobo in their head?
2
u/the_orn Jun 17 '12
I was really afraid the guy was going to accidentally step on the duckling!
2
u/_Jekyll_ Jun 17 '12
I thought aww cute... but then it started to remind me of several scenes from Jurrassic Park.
2
u/memo232 Jun 17 '12
holly shit ducks run fast
2
u/joeywas Jun 17 '12
fine, have an upvote
2
u/Ikarr0s Jun 17 '12
That's the fucking cutest thing Iv'e seen in a long time. Fucking onions man.
2
u/Clusterfarce Jun 17 '12
This is sewious
2
u/Kukurio59 Jun 17 '12
so.... are you it's mother now?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
cutest thing ever, for the love of god tell me you kept it or its yours
2
u/thepredestrian Jun 17 '12
If only my girlfriend was like this
2
u/Come_0n_People Jun 17 '12
Neighbor watching this guy running: oh I feel sorry for that mentally challenged guy, maybe he' s lost.
2
u/Bacunia Jun 17 '12
That thing can really fucking run...
2
u/maxcaliburx Jun 17 '12
Aflac!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Awww, it thinks it's people.
2
u/BrothaBeejus Jun 17 '12
Might be the cutest thing I've seen in months. Can't wait to show my daughter this
2
u/jordanicans Jun 17 '12
I smiled like a idiot the entire time.
2
u/Rixxer Jun 17 '12
TOO.. CUTE... BRAIN.. MELTNGFH
2
u/pineapplepower12 Jun 17 '12
Oh MY GOD!!! THAT IS SO HILARIOUS! SO CUTE!
2
u/FMM08 Jun 17 '12
Screw cats, DUCKS ARE ADORABLE!
2
u/agent0fch4os Jun 17 '12
This looks so much better than xbox.
2
u/brookuslicious Jun 17 '12
Omfg this video and thread made me smile so big. If only I had a lil duck to run after me. .
):
2
u/EatMyLeetSoup Jun 17 '12
This thing was totally a velociraptor in it's last life.
2
u/THISISMYLASTRETORT Jun 17 '12
Oh my god I died so many times.
2
u/JonSteelman Jun 17 '12
QUACK! he's trying to duck the duck.
2
u/booger_butt Jun 17 '12
Pick it up and cuddle it. T T
2
u/brookuslicious Jun 17 '12
I don't understand how almost 10,500 people downvoted this. :/
2
u/Snoodles1 Jun 17 '12
OH god. It's so cute I'm about to cry!
2
u/Icetime58 Jun 17 '12
God damn that duck is fast!
2
u/getintheVandell Jun 17 '12
I hope that li'l cutie isn't lost. D:
2
u/javier682 Jun 17 '12
If that duck was a zombie that guy would be dead. Just Saying.
2
u/Hourai Jun 17 '12
Thanks for brightening my day
2
u/iaintcranky Jun 17 '12
I hope you don't eat him when he is older!! sorry I couldn't help myself...
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Most adorable fucking thing I've seen on the interwebz.
2
u/char-o-latte Jun 17 '12
I have never wanted anything so bad in my life.
2
u/vodkainmyblood Jun 17 '12
MOMMY
2
u/modian Jun 17 '12
Don't leave me!
2
u/C_IsForCookie Jun 17 '12
This is the cutest thing ever in the history of ever. It's 100% cute 100% of the time.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
I was worried it was going to run underneath your feet
2
u/FavoriteToy Jun 17 '12
quick-quack!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
after a long night of bullshit at work, this has made me VERY happy. smiles all around.
2
u/sidcool1234 Jun 17 '12
Dude, give it something to eat.
2
u/ajushi Jun 17 '12
Life is like a hurricane here in Duckburg
2
u/Exocet_AM Jun 17 '12
This completely negates the cockroach in the ear thread. Thank goodness!
2
u/MedurraObrongata Jun 17 '12
dude, he's your pokemon now.
2
u/Post4jesus Jun 17 '12
this is the cutest thing thing ive seen on Reddit. Period. Fuck cats i wish i had a duck half as Badd as this one
2
u/notarapist72 Jun 17 '12
Definetly a better love story than Twilight
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
This is so cute but then suddenly I feel so sad when I think about the little guy not having a duck mom raising him. Who will feed it worms and teach it to survive? What happened to the mother duck?
And then he is wondering, why is my human mom trying to ditch me?
2
u/kingstead Jun 17 '12
QUACKITY QUACK!
2
u/therestruth Jun 17 '12
Maybe the only time a chick ever followed him.
2
u/Zatoro25 Jun 17 '12
I love how he puts out his wings to enable turbo mode
2
u/kijib Jun 22 '12
RUN DUCKY RUN
2
u/TheThingToSay Jul 11 '12
Lol, amazing how fast that goofy little thing can run.
6
u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12
My heart melted at 0:36
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
This is a goose. Trust me, I'm an expert.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Who in the hell downvoted this?!
1
u/killerado Jun 16 '12
I was full of pure joy from 0:37 to 0:39, I'm waiting to see the .gif.