Penguins, courtesy of Wikipedia

Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.

Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator.

The largest living species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): adults average about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (75 lb) or more. The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the Fairy Penguin, which stands around 40 cm tall (16 in) and weighs 1 kg (2.2 lb). Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates (see also Bergmann's Rule). Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions; on the contrary, subantarctic regions harboured high diversity, and at least one giant penguin occurred in a region not quite 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, in a climate decidedly warmer than today. (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Monday, August 8, 2011

Gentoo Penguins: White Strap; Not Always Gentle!

Gentoo Penguin (photo credit in text)
Today I've been looking at Gentoo Penguins. They grow to nearly three feet in height and have a nifty white strap across the head. The photo is from wwarby and was taken in the United Kingdom.

To see an entire colony of Gentoo Penguins in Antarctica -- and witness a pretty fierce display of next protection! -- check out this video, shot by Lucy Steinitz. Be sure your volume is up, so you can hear the voices!

This might be a good day to add a dollar to penguin egg protection, at the South Georgia Heritage Trust; South Georgia Island isn't far from where Lucy shot this footage. I'm awestruck that the heritage site just completed its first rodent eradication effort in just 28 days -- hurrah! Now it's time to expand the effort to the entire island, to stop the introduced rats from eating the penguins' eggs.

Today's reminder: Wait a few minutes, and things will change. That's a good one to keep in mind when exploring the "Wiinterr's Day" blog, where there are half a dozen webcams focused on penguins in captivity. At first, the images look frozen in place. But it turns out the webcams aren't a continuous feed. So you literally have to wait a bit for the next snapshot. Still ... it's real, and it's live.

It's tempting to fall for the assumption that things stay the same. Reality proves over and over again, though, that change keeps happening. The question is, how can I recognize the best possibilities, as the doors around me open?
Posted by Beth Kanell at 2:44 PM

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