Kingdom Animalia Order Anseriformes Subfamily Oxyurinae Scientific name Oxyura vittata Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Family Anatidae Genus Oxyura Higher classification Stiff-tailed duck | |
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Similar Bird, Stiff‑tailed duck, Red shoveler, Coscoroba swan, Black‑headed duck | ||
Big lake ducks
The lake duck (Oxyura vittata) is a small, South American stiff-tailed duck. It is also called the Argentine blue-bill, Argentine lake duck, or Argentine ruddy duck.
The lake duck lives in central Chile, Argentina and southern Uruguay. Its winter range extends north to Paraguay and Rio Grande do Sul.
In addition to holding the Guinness World Record for largest avian reproductive organ, it is notable for possessing, in relation to body length, the longest penis of all vertebrates; the penis, which is typically coiled up in flaccid state, can reach about the same length as the animal itself when fully erect, but more commonly is about half the bird's length. It is theorized that the remarkable size of their spiny penises with bristled tips may have evolved in response to competitive pressure in these highly promiscuous birds, removing sperm from previous matings in the manner of a bottle brush.
Although most male birds have no penis, ducks have a long corkscrew penis, and the females have a long corkscrew vagina, which spirals in the opposite direction. Scientists have suggested that males use their penises to lasso reluctant females. The males often try to force copulation, but the complex mating geometry allows the females to retain control—most forced copulations do not result in successful fertilization.