Flamingos and salmon are only pink because of their diets. So what do they eat that gives them that color? Find out here
Flamingos and salmon, both known for their pink coloring, owe their hue to a steady diet of crustaceans like small shrimp. These crustaceans have carotenoid pigments that function as antioxidants. These antioxidants enhance the animals' immune systems and protect their tissues against oxidative damage--making their pink coloring all the more vibrant.
In captivity, flamingos and salmon must be fed a diet rich in carotene in order to maintain their coloring or else they can appear dull gray in color.
Humans, however, are not effected by carotene because we don't eat enough in our diets to affect our pigmentation.
