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Penguins are very efficient swimmers That spend up to 75% of there life at sea. When traveling fast penguins "porpoise," or leap clear of the water, every few feet. This enables them to breath and decreases their chances of being caught by a predator. Penguins unique colour is also there to keep them safe. If there is an animal above in the sky looking down it will see the penguin's black back and will think it is the deep dark ocean. If there is an animal in the water and it is looking toward the sky it will think that the penguins white belly is the bright sky above. Although they are comfortable at 8 km/h (5 mph), some can travel at 32 km/h (20 mph) in short bursts. | |||
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Penguins are prey to many different predators, especially to the leopard seals. Who can eat 13 Chinstrap Penguins in one day. The seals hide below the ice and wait for the penguins to jump into the sea. Penguins will jump over cracks in the ice to avoid leopard seals. Sheathbills are Pigeon like birds that live in Antarctic. They attack when parents feed there chicks. The sheathbill alarms the Parent and chick causing the food to fall to the ground. Then the sheathbills fly down take the food and flies back home and feeds his young. The sheathbill also steals the penguins eggs. In the Antarctic, skuas swoop down and eat the little baby chicks and wounded or sick Penguins. To avoid adult Penguins, who could defend the chicks, the skuas may push or roll the baby chick away from the rookery where the skuas more easily attack the baby chick. A Killer Whale, Fur Seal and Grey Seal will also attack and eat Penguins. |
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Penguins live in groups that are called rookeries. Chinstraps are probably be the most numerous penguins with a population estimated at 12 to 13 million. Imagine looking for your parents among millions of others! In the Penguin world, chicks and parents recognize each other's calls and always find one another. Even while the chick is coming out of it's egg, it is calling so it's parent will get to know its voice. Food for the chicks comes straight from a parent's mouth! The adults return with undigested food stored in their crop (A special pouch in the parent's mouth). A chick fits it's bill inside the adult's mouth to receive the food. The Chinstrap Penguins appetite consists on Fish, Squid, Krill and a shrimp-like crustacean that is a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem. | |||
| Penguins are flightless birds! Who waddle around on land. Chinstrap Penguins often look awkward, waddling and hopping over rocks. On snow, they sometimes push themselves along on their stomachs. Penguins walk with a very erect posture. Chinstrap penguins have developed the ability to leap out of the water to a very substantial height, enabling them to reach raised ice edges or rock ledges. Chinstrap Penguins average 71 to 76 cm (28 to 30 inches) in height and weigh up to 3.9 to 4.4 kg (8.5 to 10 pounds). . The Chinstrap Penguins scientific name is Pygoscelis Antarctica . |
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