# Why are rubber ducks yellow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 7, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229 "2005-10-07T18:02:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bubastis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/1 "2005-10-07T18:02:14Z")
Quack quack? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/2 "2005-10-07T18:04:43Z")
Because if they were white you would lose them in the bubbles. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/3 "2005-10-07T18:12:31Z")
They are modelled after ducklings, not adult ducks. Ducklings are frequently yellow. [Awwww.](http://www.swanuk.org.uk/new%20born%20duckling.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/4 "2005-10-07T18:14:46Z")
There are plenty of non-red ducks: [http://www.thesoapopera.com/scgi-bin/scart.cgi/DD-100-H.php3?scartid=702406](http://www.thesoapopera.com/scgi-bin/scart.cgi/DD-100-H.php3?scartid=702406) Devil ducks come in all colors. [dull, realistic answer]Yellow got to be the “traditional” color, I suspect, because most freashly-emerged barnyard baby ducks have yellow down.[dull, realistic answer] ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/5 "2005-10-07T19:17:08Z")
Not exactly helpful, but someone had to do it: > [@Ernie](#): > > Every day when I make my way to the tubby > I find a little fellow who’s cute and yellow and chubby ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/6 "2005-10-07T19:24:45Z")
[Put Down the Duckie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275667/)! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/7 "2005-10-07T20:37:01Z")
Put it down? I thought we were supposed to pass the duckie from the left hand side… Sorry… ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/8 "2005-10-07T22:16:07Z")
…Or [dead ducks](http://www.wonderfullywacky.com/rubber-deadduck.htm) if you swing that way. I have one presiding over my monitor, keeping Cthulhu and the Rabbit With Big Pointy Teeth company. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/9 "2005-10-07T23:57:42Z")
> [@bubastis](#): > > Quack quack? HEY! Watch the language. This is GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/10 "2005-10-08T00:26:43Z")
> [@bubastis](#): > > Quack quack? _…quack… quack…_ ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rubber-ducks-yellow/325229/11 "2005-10-08T02:07:38Z")
[A duck for every occasion.](http://www.mcphee.com/categories/devilduck.html) I like the [hot rod devil duck.](http://www.mcphee.com/items/11083.html)