Post on 23-Dec-2015
Penguins!
• Class – Aves
• Family –Spheniscidae
– Penguins are the only animals in the Spheniscidae family
• Species – 18
Location
• Live in the Southern Hemisphere
• Abundant on temperate and sub-antarctic islands
• Live in areas where their inability to fly is not detrimental to their survival (not many land predators)
Characteristics:
• Aquatic, flightless birds
• Highly adapted to life in the water
• Countershading: a form of camouflage that helps keep them safe in the water (they look like they are wearing a tuxedo)
Size:
• Emperor Penguin = largest – 3.7 feet tall, 60-90 pounds
• Fairy (Little Blue) Penguin = smallest– 16 inches tall, 2.2 pounds
Population
• Species with the highest population is the Macaroni Penguin (23,308,000)
• Species with the lowest population is the endangered Galapagos Penguin with only between 6,000-15,000 left
Behavior
• Can spend up to 75% of their lives in the water
• Do all of their hunting in the water
• Catch prey in their beaks and swallow it whole
• Some only leave water for molting and breeding
Hunting and Collecting Food
• Feed at sea
• Find food within 50-60 feet from the surface, so they do not need to dive very deep
• Rely on their vision while hunting
Fasting
• During breeding season, penguins fast
• Fun Fact: Male emperor penguins may fast 90 – 120 days during courtship, breeding, and incubation of the eggs
Reproduction
• Each penguin has a distinct call, allowing individual penguins to find their mate and their chicks in large groups
• Most breed during spring and summer
• King and Emperor penguins lay only one egg –all other species lay two eggs
• Eggs take between 1 month and 66 days to develop and hatch, depending on the species
Flippers and Feathers
• Instead of wings, penguins have paddle-like flippers
• Each flipper is covered with short, scale-like feathers
• Flippers used to propel Penguins through water
Why are the feathers still there?
• Feathers help keep water away from the skin
• Penguin feathers are highly specialized: short, broad, closely spaced
Movement
• Swim quickly because if their flippers and webbed feet
• Walk slowly using short steps or hops
• When traveling on ice, Antarctic penguins often use toboggan on their bellies –use flippers and feet to slide their bodies forward along the ice
Toboggan
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCMdD6rgwkk
Emperor Penguin Migration
• Begin migration rituals each March, traveling up to 100 miles to reach an appropriate nesting ground
• Female lays an egg, and males take care of the eggs for up to four months