A typical banana duck has a bright yellow body and a white head and neck. Their head and neck is roughly the same size as the rest of their body. Occasionally, banana ducks can have green or brown bodies, due to a unique mutation. Banana ducks have thin legs and webbed feet that resemble other ducks, but their legs and feet are usually yellow. Typical facial features also include a large yellow or orange beak and small black or brown eyes. The head and neck of a banana duck has a fuzzy or feathery texture, but the rest of the body is smooth.
One unique feature of banana ducks is something known as a 'peel'. It separates the neck from the body, and resembles a banana peel. The peel assists survival in many ways. The peel can open or close based on seasonal climate, so the banana duck can conserve more warmth in winter and stay cool in summer. When the peel is open during the warm months, which also serve as the primary mating months, the peel can serve as a point of attractiveness for mates, similar to a peacock's feathers.
Over the course of a banana duck's lifespan, very little changes about their appearance. One change is size. Babana ducks are very small, but grow much larger as they develop into adulthood. Babanas are also not born with their legs, but the legs are usually fully grown in the first couple of months following birth. Until adulthood, banana ducks often do not make noise, including the typical "Quack" sound. Once a duck makes this sound, they are usually considered to be an adult. The "Quack" sound as an additional metric for attractiveness, as most banana ducks look for mates in ducks with louder or more pronounced sound.
When banana ducks are seen, it is usually in groups, because they usually only expose themselves to humans when in groups. This is an adaptation of banana ducks, as they are safer in greater numbers. The largest threats against banana ducks are humans, especially tourists, who are most likely to intrude or hurt their way of life. In fact, a study showed that there is an area of the banana duck's brain specifically advanced to determine whether a human is a native or a tourist, and if they are a threat. When faced with a threat, most adult banana ducks will act with agression, often threatening the tourist first. They are most threatening in groups, so it helps if they only travel or are exposed when they are not alone. A group of banana ducks is known as a 'gang' due to their often agressive, threatening nature.
On the other hand, when banana ducks are alone or with close family, they often are not exposed to threats like tourists. They display much less agression when alone or with close family. In fact, the change between threatening and affectionate behavior suggests that banana ducks may have extremely sophisticated emotions, only second to that of humans. If you see a banana duck alone, do not approach. Banana ducks value their solitude and space and it could be extremely harmful to both of you if you do.
Whether a banana duck is seen in urban or woodland areas has been shown to correlate with whether they are in groups or alone. As urban areas tend to have more tourists and more humans overall, banana ducks are often in groups when in these areas to defend against potential threats. However, their homes are usually in the nature, foresty areas that are depicted on population maps. This is where they can appreciate solitude and face less risk of danger, resulting in more affectionate behavior toward their close family.
Studies have shown that banana ducks display sophisticated emotion processing and control, second only to that of humans. This can be seen in their aggressive nature toward potential threats and their affectionate behavior toward parents, mates, and young babanas. Banana ducks have also been known to partake in mourning rituals and show grief when one of their own dies. There have been some documented cases of rituals when a babana is born, as well. It is unclear what has caused banana ducks to develop emotional processing and how it is beneficial to their survival. However, some experts hypothesize that it was developed alongside fight-or-flight and utilizes the same part of the brain.