http://www.comminternet.com/websites/harmonartillustrations.com/files/murals/full/16.jpg (Accessed on May 12,2014 via internet)
RESEARCH PROJECT: PENGUINS
Basil Niebla
-REFERENCE
a few exceptions, such as the King Penguin, which need 13 months to raise a chick, and the
Emperor Penguin, which take 150 days to raise. Once fully raised, a Chick moults its juvenile
Research Project sources
their feathers by growing a new set underneath the old one so that they will stay warm plumage and then it leaves the nest. They do not return to the colony until they are ready to
-INTRODUCTION
while they molt for two to five weeks depending on the species .
(7)
Penguins are a species of birds found exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere (mainly Antarctica, The skin of a Penguin is composed of two layers, one of fat (also know as blubber) and a Layer of
they are highly adapted to life in the water and lack the ability to fly(1) (www.defenders.org/
climates, some species of Penguins have no feathers on their feet and some have skin exposed on
Penguins can distinguish males by their call, a heavier male has a larger chest cavity, which
the fairy Penguin, standing at 30cm tall. The Penguin was first discovered in the 15th Century
favorite)(3). Penguins are toothless, and because of that, they swallow their prey completely. Their
produces a deeper call.
and even though mankind has learned to preserve endangered species, environmental problems
still greatly impact the population of Penguins(3). (http://www.livescience.com/27434-penguin-
3)http://www.livescience.com/27434-penguin-facts.html
(Accessed on May 12, 2014 via internet)
4)http://www.penguins.cl/penguins-species.htm
(Accessed on May 3, 2014 via internet)
a good sense of hearing, allowing them to find their partners or chicks in the colony. Female
Penguins are primarily carnivorous, feeding on fish, squid, and krill (krill in particular are there
fear towards man, they were targeted as easy prey(9). Their populations declined as a result of this,
(Accessed on May 12, 2014 via internet)
Although Penguins do not have external ears (instead having only an internal ear), they have
largest species of Penguin is the Emperor Penguin, stands at 120cm tall(2), while the smallest is
when sailors venturing in southern waters discovered them. Because the Penguins showed no
2)http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/emperor-penguin/
com/2012/02/21/the-romantic-life-of-penguins/,2014. http://www.pinguins.info 2014.
feathers. Both of these layers help keep the penguin warm even in extreme conditions. In warmer Breeding)
their face to help insulate their bodies.
(Accessed on May 12, 2014 via internet)
breed (which takes 2-5 years depending on the species. (http://blog.farwestclimatecontrol.
the southern tip of South America and Africa, and Australia). Despite looking clumsy on land,
penguins/basic-facts, 2014). There are between 17-18 species of Penguins (Image above). The
1)http://www.defenders.org/penguins/basic-facts
5)http://www.penguins-world.com/penguin-predators/
(Accessed on May 12, 2014 via internet)
6)http://birding.about.com/od/birdingtravel/a/Where-To-See-Penguins.htm
(Accessed on May 3, 2014 via internet)
beaks are also sharp and have protrusions to keep their prey from escaping.
The Penguin is colored black and white to help it camouflage through counter shading, which hides them from predators from above and below. (www.pinguins.info,
2014. Anatomy/Head/Sight,Flippers,Feathers)
7)http://www.pinguins.info/Engels/BioKop_eng.html
(Accessed on May 12, 2014 via internet)
-COMMON THREATS
8)http://blog.farwestclimatecontrol.com/2012/02/21/the-romantic-life-of-penguins/
(Accessed on May 12, 2014 via internet)
Common predators of penguins on land include various other species of birds like the
9) http://www.earthlife.net/birds/spheniscidae.html
giant Petrel, predatory birds, and gulls, who usually only attack sick adults, chicks left
facts.html, 2014)
unattended, and eggs. This become troublesome when researchers come to study the
-ANATOMY
As mentioned before, Penguins are highly adapted to life underwater. Their eyes have the ability
to quickly adjust when they dive underwater. The depth at which Penguins dive while hunting
for food is dependent on the light under the water. Research shows that they dive deeper in the
afternoon than in the evening. Their ability to quickly adjust their eyes while underwater comes
-SOCIETY
A colony of Penguins is known as a waddle. The size of these colonies depend on the species. The
Gentoo Penguin waddle ranges from 200-300 birds, while the Chinstrap, King, and Macaroni
Penguin have colonies that are made up of over 600,000 birds. During the mating season, Female
Penguins often choose Fatter Males as Mates because they desire a Male that can withstand the
with one disadvantage: their depth of focus under water is very poor. Due to a reduction of visual fasting period while incubating the egg. Most penguins lay two eggs except for the Emperor
angle when their eyes are in water, their vision is limited to 17 degrees from the bill.
Penguin and the King Penguin which lay only one, while the African Penguin can sometimes lay
The wing of a penguin is called a flipper. The feathers on its flippers are tiny, stiff feath- three. Incubation time ranges from 32-68 days depending on the species (larger eggs needing
ers that aren’t waterproof (unlike the rest of the penguin’s body). Unlike most birds,
which have hollow bones to aid in flight, Penguins have solid bones, which help with
more time than smaller ones). Both parents are involved with raising the baby (Image of a
Emporer Penguin Family on the far Right). Hatchings are completely helpless when they are
Buoyancy. Penguins spread a natural oil (known as preening) over their feathers to
born, and rely on their parents to keep them warm because they cannot regulate their body
keep them waterproof, along with reducing friction while swimming in water and in-
temperature on their own. Most Penguins have are raised by their parents for 55-100 days, with
colony or when tourist come to visit because Penguins may flee, leaving their eggs unguarded for predators to try to steal. The leopard seal is the most common predator of
Penguins in water, along with Killer Whales and Sharks. Although Penguins are much
more maneuverable than the Killer Whale and Shark, they are still threatened by these
predators(5). (http://www.penguins-world.com/penguin-predators/, 2014)
Humans threaten Penguins by, disturbing their habitats with Oil Spills, and tourism.
Humans also introduced threats such as rats, cats, and dogs. Penguins are threatened
by the effects of global warming (which is a direct result of burning fossil fuels) and
being hunted by humans for food or other products such as their guano, eggs, and
natural oil. Although hunting them is now illegal, there is still a high demand for their
waterproof oil on the black market.
sulating their bodies. Once a year, usually after the mating season, the Penguins Shed
http://blog.farwestclimatecontrol.com/2012/02/21/the-romantic-life-of-penguins/ (Accessed on May 12,2014 via internet)