How do you tell male / female?
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How can you tell male and female penguins apart?

It is very difficult to tell male from female penguins. The only ways to be absolutely certain are either to perform a DNA test, or to watch and see which one lays the egg.

In some species there are slight differences in size (with the males being larger) but the natural variability within a population means that there will always be some females larger than some males!

There is one other method that biologists actually use - a penguin with muddy footprints on its back is most probably a female!