National
Geographic POD

Edinburgh,
Scotland, United Kingdom, March 13, 2007—For gentoo
penguins, it’s all about who’s got the best rocks. Like a human
offering jewelry, this gentoo male at the Edinburgh Zoo presents a
large pebble on Tuesday in hopes of winning over a female.

But
sometimes finding the flashiest gifts isn’t enough. During the mating
season—which begins in March and lasts up to six
weeks—males suffering from “pebble envy” will steal the
best-looking rocks and pawn them off as their own.

The
pebbles will eventually become parts of the penguins’
nests—large circular piles of stone that can reach 8 inches
(20 centimeters) in height and 10 inches (25 centimeters) in diameter.

This is something that I understand completely.