In Europe, the funny birds in black "tails" became known in the early sixteenth century, thanks to the Mariners from Portugal.Interesting facts about penguins immediately caused him to have sympathy evropeytsev.Nazvanie "Penguin" is derived from the English word penguin.According to one of the existing versions translated from the Welsh pengwyn means - white head.What is very suitable for the description of these fascinating creatures of nature.Penguins in Antarctica - the only bird in the world that can not fly, but it is great swim and move on land.
Species Antarctic penguins
This family of flightless birds includes about twenty species.People know many interesting facts about penguins.Representatives of each species have their curious features that distinguish them from each other.
Magellanic penguins and beautiful belong to one of the smallest species endangered.
Adele - the most common form of the whole family.The name of the bird was named after the area, which were first seen - Terre Adélie.
Galapagos - representatives of the northern.They live very close to the equator in the Galapagos archipelago, at high temperatures, is not peculiar to the penguins.These Simpatyazhka, unfortunately, could soon disappear from the face of the earth, they are threatened with extinction.
Gentoo - this type is the third largest after the emperor and king penguins.
Stone - those members of the family are aggressive and flashy, they differ most vicious temper.
Imperial - the most famous views in the world.In addition to large, they stand out among their fellow extraordinary tolerance of the strongest cold.Cold transcend these birds.They meet even the mainland of Antarctica.
I regret the fact that nowadays most of the species are threatened with extinction.
natural habitat of penguins
penguins live in nature only in the southern hemisphere of the planet.Their habitats - is Antarctica, Australia, South America, South Africa and New Zealand.Birds are found in the tropics, but it does not mean that the local waters mainly for cold.The Galapagos Islands - the warmest place of residence of flightless birds.The largest populations of penguins are observed on the coast of Antarctica, adjacent islands and the huge ice floes.
Description
Penguins in Antarctica, depending on the species category, significantly differ in weight, height and appearance.Their weight can vary from 1 to 45-50 kg, and the height is 30 cm to 1 meter, although there are some individuals is much higher and more massive.It depends on the climate in which the birds live.In those places where the air temperature is lower, the largest living species superiority in this list is emperor penguin.The smallest penguins live in New Zealand and Australia, called this kind of "small penguins."Their weight is only about one kilogram.
streamlined body of the bird, because of this they can freely and deftly swim underwater.They have developed muscles, muscle mass is about 30% of total body weight.The bones dense, without cavities, it is distinguished from the penguins flying birds, whose tubular bones and lungs.
Three layers of waterproof numerous "hair" - a handsome plumage in "tails."The air trapped between the feathers, heats the body while swimming in cold water.During the moult the plumage is changed completely.During the change of "clothes" birds can not fly, so have to stay hungry until that time, until the "change clothes" in the new feathers.It is worth noting that penguins do not freeze because of the three-centimeter layer of fat.
The penguins eat?
While underwater, divers can see pretty well, much better than on land.On the question of what to eat penguins, the answer is simple - fish.Stein kinds of sea inhabitants are the basis of the diet.Sardine, horse mackerel, anchovy - a favorite food of birds.Diluted with a diet of squid and krill.
During the day, the penguin dives into the water of 300 to 900 times in order to get their own food.During the incubation of eggs and molting, when there is no opportunity to go to fish, birds can lose half of the total weight.
Lifestyle wild
Group of penguins communicate with each other by means of cries, and each species has its own sounds.African Penguin reproduce the screams that remind donkey.
As mentioned before, these lovely creatures can not fly, though, and have wings, but perfectly swim and dive, and in extremely cold conditions.Under water they are able to move at a speed of 10 km / h, but this is only an average.At short distances gentoo penguin, which is characterized by its speed can reach the speed of 30-35 km / h.
Accustomed to diving birds can stay underwater without interruption 1-1.5 minutes, diving to a depth in this 15-20 meters.But then again there among all kinds of divers-champions.Emperor Penguin easily plunges to a depth of about 500 meters and holds it up to 15-18 minutes.
jumping out of the water birds, the height of the jump may be up to 2 meters, because of this they immediately find themselves on land.Located on the beach, these are excellent swimmers are very clumsy.They go slowly, swaying from side to side, partly in a manner penguins save heat and energy.Where there is any ice slide, birds fall on your stomach and slide down as sledging.
Reproduction
The penguins breeding season for growing chicks gather in large colonies.Mating season in different species takes place in different times.For hatching eggs the birds build nests on the fact that there are "at hand".This may be stones, grass, leaves.The exception is the imperial and royal penguins, they put their eggs in a special fold in the abdomen.There they are until the chicks.
The incubation period lasts from one to two months.If initially there were two eggs and two chicks hatched, the parents all the attention given to his firstborn, and the second baby in the end this unfair treatment mom and dad can die of hunger, which is what happens in most cases.
natural enemies
Life penguins are constantly in danger.In nature, these lovely creatures enemies abound, not including destructive human activity that is most affected by the reduction of the population of birds in Antarctica.
hardest falls little penguin, about 50% of them die in the first year of his life.The main enemies of the chicks are birds of prey, such as the southern giant petrel.Besides the danger to die from the claws, kids are constantly threatened with death by starvation.
natural enemies adult penguins are considered marine predators.These include sharks, whales, seals, sea lions and leopards.Approximately 6-10% of birds die in a collision with these animals.
to the above can be added that the feral dogs, which threw the people is also very dangerous for settlements hulking creatures that are unable to escape from their enemies on land.In the twentieth century, the Galapagos wild dogs were destroyed entire colonies of penguins.
Interesting facts about penguins in colonies
these flightless birds of different species there are many curious.Some interesting facts about penguins will present to your attention today:
• The penguin colonies are present, "kindergartens".The chicks aged 4-6 weeks are collected in one place and watch the kids leave several adult "tutors".Parents can thus devote all his spare time looking for food for themselves and their young.
• Watching the penguins, you can see that when they come to the shore, the first just standing, looking at each other for a long time to dive nobody dares.After some time, there is one pioneer who boldly jumping into the water.Behind him immediately rush to the others.This behavior is called "penguin effect".By the way, among the people, too, are often the same situation. • To go faster, move the penguins, jumping out of the water like dolphins.
• Birds can drink salt sea water, as they have special glands that excrete excess salt.
• During warming, so as not to fall through the ice, the penguins move, sliding on his stomach, starting with the legs and wings.
