Page 155 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Penguins
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19. The gentoo Acrobatic

can swim at Gentoos are also
one of the most agile
penguins and are
up to 22mph capable of leaping
high out of the water.

Faster than any other diving bird, the gentoo penguin
is distinctive for many reasons, primarily for its ability to
swim at a rapid 22 miles (36 kilometres) per hour. It’s also
notable due to its flamboyant red-orange beak, white
feathered caps and super-streamlined body, with this
species type commonly found throughout the Antarctic Rapid swimmer
Peninsula and its many icy islands. While swimming
On land, gentoo penguins have no natural predators, under the water
gentoos can hit
but despite their speed in the water they are frequently
22mph (36km/h).
preyed upon in the oceans by leopard seals, sea lions and
orca whales. Additionally, during the breeding season,
their eggs are prone to be taken by birds of prey such as GENTOO PENGUIN
caracaras and skuas. Pygoscelis papua
This predation, along with climate change and human Class Aves
fishing operations, has seen the number of gentoo
penguins decrease rapidly over the past couple of
decades, with the species receiving a Near Threatened
rating by the IUCN Red List in 2007. This is particularly Territory Subantarctic
depressing, as the gentoo is one of the cornerstone Diet Carnivore
Lifespan 10-15 years
penguin species, being the third largest (76 centimetres Adult weight 5.5kg / 12lbs “Adult gentoos spend
or 30 inches) in height and weighing a modest 5.5 Conservation Status
kilograms (12 pounds). Adult gentoos spend most of their most of their days
days hunting close to shore, where they consume large
quantities of squid and krill. Gentoo chicks take just over NEAR THREATENED hunting close to shore”
a month to hatch and then a further month of direct care
before they can leave the nest.
“The emperor
20. A penguin’s body Staying warm
temperature is 38 °C Though they live penguin can dive
in cold conditions,
penguins can still down to 1,700 feet”
The average temperature in a penguin’s remain warm.
body is 38 degrees Celcius (100 degrees
Fahrenheit), even despite most living in
subantarctic conditions, where temperatures 21. They aren’t able to
o en plummet well below -20 degrees breathe underwater
Celcius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit). Despite spending the majority of their lives there,
Interestingly, however, scientists
have used infrared imagery to show that penguins can’t actually breathe underwater, with
the time and depth they can be submerged for
at times parts of a penguin’s body can being wholly dependent on the species type.
drop in temperature by over 15 As an example, little penguins can only manage
degrees Celcius, with inactive to dive down to around 60 metres (200 feet) and
extremities kept cooler than remain underwater for up to a minute. In contrast,
the core. This helps the the emperor penguin can dive down to 565 metres
penguin conserve energy (1,850 feet) below the surface and may remain
that otherwise would have there for around 20 minutes at any one time.
been wasted.
22. They are a very
sociable species
Despite their remote habitats and general lack of
contact with the wider world, penguins are social
animals, conducting almost every aspect of their
daily lives together. From diving and hunting,
through to breeding together in large colonies
and communicating with one another constantly
Toasty seat via calls, as well as visual displays, penguins are
Penguin chicks can always in contact. They even travel and sleep in
perch on a warm pair
of feet to avoid the groups too – the latter o en to increase safety
cold snow. and warmth – and will band together to fight off
predators who are trying to capture a younger or
weaker individual.

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