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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 Parents mouth). A chick fits it's bill inside the adult's mouth to receive the food. The parents then regurgitate the food for the chick to eat. The Emperor Penguins unlike all other Antarctic Species they breed in the winter. Getting temperatures down to -60' C (-65' F). 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 speaking so it's parent will get to know its voice. | |||
| The Emperor Penguins appetite consists on Fish, Squid and Krill a shrimp-like shell fish that is a main species in the Antarctic ecosystem. The Emperor is the largest Penguin living today. Emperor Penguins average 100-130 cm (40-50 inches) in height and weigh up to 30 to 38 kg (66 to 84 pounds). Penguins are flightless birds! Penguins walk with a very erect stance. On land they are often awkward looking, waddling and jumping over rocks. On snow, they will push themselves along on their stomachs. The light orange patch on the neck is the mark of the Emperor Penguin. The Emperor Penguin is named after the yellow on it's neck making it look royal. Penguins live in groups that are called rookeries. The Emperor Penguins scientific name is Aptenodytes forsteri (as above). Emperor penguins have developed the ability to leap out of the water to a substantial height, allowing them to reach raised ice edges or rock ledges. |
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Penguins are very efficient swimmers spending up to 75% of there life at sea. Although they are comfortable at 8 kmph (5 mph), some species can travel at 32 kmph (20 mph) in short bursts. When traveling fast penguins "porpoise," or jump clear of the water, every few feet. This allows 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 bird flying above in the sky looking down into the water it will see the penguins black back and will think it is the deep dark ocean. If there is an animal in the swimming water and it is looking toward the sky it will think that the penguins white belly is the bright sky above. | |||
| Penguins are prey to many different predators, especially to the leopard seals who can eat 5 Emperor penguins in one whole 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. The Emperor Penguins will push one Penguin off the ledge to see if it is safe. Sheathbills are Pigeon-like birds that live in the Antarctic that attack when Parents are feeding there chicks. The sheathbill alarms a Penguin causing food to fall to the ground. Then the sheathbill flies down takes the food and flies back home and feeds it's young. The sheathbill also takes abandoned eggs and steals them if able to too. In the Antarctic, skuas swoop down and eat the little baby chicks. 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 Sharks are penguins enemies but not main ones. |
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