GalÃÆ'¡pagos penguin ( Spheniscus mendiculus ) is an endemic penguin on the GalÃppagos Islands. It is the only penguin living north of the equator in the wild. It can survive because of the cold temperatures generated from the Humboldt Flow and cold water from the great depth brought by Cromwell's Flow. Penguin Galápagos is one of the ribboned penguins, another species that mostly lives on the coast of Africa and the mainland of South America.
Video Galapagos penguin
Description
The average Galápagos penguin is 49 cm (19 inches) and weighs 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds). This is the second smallest penguin species after a small penguin. GalÃÆ'¡pagos penguins have black heads with white lines stretching from behind the eyes, around the ears and black chin, to join in the throat. They have a black top-gray and a whitish bottom, with two black bands across the breast, the bottom rib stretched to the pelvis up to the thigh. Teenagers differ in having a completely dark head, grayer on the sides and chin, and no breast ribbons. Female penguins are smaller than males.
Maps Galapagos penguin
Distribution
Penguins Galápagos are found mainly on Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island, but small populations are scattered on the other islands of the Galá¡pagos archipelago.
While ninety percent of the Galápagos penguins live among the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela, they also occur in Santiago, BartolomÃÆ'Â ©, north of Santa Cruz, and Floreana. Isabela's northern end crosses the equator, meaning that some Galápagos penguins live in the northern hemisphere, the only penguins to do so.
Ecology and behavior
Penguin live in the archipelago. They live in the Cromwell Stream during the day as it is cooler and returns to land at night. They eat small school fish, especially mullets, sardines, and sometimes crustaceans. They seek food only during the day and usually within a few kilometers of their breeding location. They rely on a rich stream of cold nutrients to bring them food.
Temperatures in the Galapagos Islands remain between 15-28  ° C (59-82  ° F). During El Nià ± o seasons, penguins delay the nursery, as their food becomes less abundant; this makes the chance of raising a child successfully unprofitable compared to the possibility of dying in an attempt. They usually breed when sea-level temperatures below 25 ° C (77 ° F) produce more food for them. The strong sun is a major problem for penguins. Their main way to cool is to go to the water, but they have other behavioral adaptations because of all the time they spend on land. They use two methods of thermoregulation in warmer weather on land. One is to stretch out the fins and bend forward to keep the sun from shining on their feet, because they can lose heat from their fins because of the blood flow there. They are also breathless, using evaporation to cool the throat and airways. GalÃÆ'¡pagos penguins protect their eggs and chicks from the scorching sun by keeping them in cracks in the rocks.
The species is threatened, with an estimated population size of about 1,500 people in 2004, according to a survey by Charles Darwin Research Station. The population experienced an alarming decline of more than 70% in the 1980s, but slowly recovered. It is therefore the rarest penguin species (a status often mistakenly associated with yellow-eyed penguins). The population level is influenced by the effects of El NiÆ'Â Â ± Southern Oscillation, which reduces the availability of shoaling fish, leading to low reproduction or hunger. However, anthropogenic factors (eg oil pollution, by-catch and fish competition) can increase the mortality of this species. On the island of Isabela, introduced cats, dogs, and rats attacked the penguins and destroyed their nests. While in the water, they are preyed on by sharks, seals, and sea lions.
Breeding
There are less than 1000 couples eater GalÃÆ'¡pagos in the world. Most of the nests are visible between May and January. The nest is made within 50 meters (160 feet) of water on the beach, usually in Fernandina and Isabela Islands. Adults live near the breeding area for a year with their spouses. When penguins breed, incubation takes 38-40 days with both parents helping. Couple penguins Galápagos for life. This puts one or two eggs in places like caves and crevices, protected from direct sunlight, which can cause eggs to overheat. One parent will always stay with eggs or chicks while others are not there for a few days to feed. Parents usually only raise one child. If there is not enough food, the nest may be left behind. Thirty days after the chicks hatch, the chicks feathers are brown on top and white below. These feathers are to protect the chicks from the strong sun instead of warming them up. The naturalist then Louis L. Mowbray was the first to breed the Galápagos penguins in captivity.
Predator
Since the size of the GalÃÆ'¡pagos penguin is smaller, it has many predators. On land, penguins are lured by crabs, snakes, rats, cats, Galapagos eagles, and short-eared owls. While in the water they are devoured by sharks, seals, and sea lions. They face many dangers because of humans, as well as the dangers of unreliable food resources and volcanic activity. Illegal fishermen can disturb the penguin's nest, and they are often trapped in fish nets by mistake.
References
External links
- GalÃÆ'¡pagos media penguin in ARKive
- Penguin Galápagos from the International Penguin Conservation site
- the BirdLife species factsheet
- Penguin World: GalÃÆ'¡pagos penguin
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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