Origin
Adelie penguin (lat. Pygoscelis adeliae) is a carenata aseriforma marine bird of the family spheniscidae, order sphenisciformes, with short wings unsuitable for flight serving as flippers, prominent beak and palmate legs (the forelegs are joined by a flipping membrane) located at the posterior extremity of the trunk.
The name "Adelie" comes from the name of the wife of the French explorer Dumont d'urville (1790-1842), because according to him she was as graceful as this penguin. The total population is 2-2.6 million pairs. It is the smallest and most studied.
They are found in the cold zone of the Southern Hemisphere consisting of Antarctica and the islands close to it.
Penguin Feed
They consume small fish and cephalopods, and less often lichens or insects. Some penguin breeds feed at night.
Penguin Appearance
They are considered elegant and funny birds. They have plumage although they cannot fly. The lifespan of these penguins is unknown due to the extremely cold area in which they live and which has hindered their detailed research.
However, it is estimated to be around 20 years old. Adelie penguin is the little girl of the Royal Penguin. It shows the well-known "fluffy" tuxedo, a layer of short feathers that, along with the fat layer, protects the body from Frost.
They store large amounts of energy in the form of adipose tissue and can live for a long time without feeding.
The head is black, and around the eye has a white circle, a distinctive sign for this species. They are distinguished from their relatives by the feathers at the base of the tail. This is longer than the other penguins.
Vision and language are well developed. The paws are pinkish in color and help them swim. They are very good swimmers, fast, and can dive up to 20 (or even 50) meters deep. They weigh 4-5 kg and have a length of 60-70 cm.
Penguin Behavior
They are sociable animals. They live in communities of thousands. Adelie penguins defend not only their nests but also their colony. This species moves quickly on ice by sliding on its belly and using its wings and legs to achieve greater speed.
They keep their partners every year, so couples remain unchanged, in other words they are monogamous.
They live in the antarctic environment, characterized by ICE and Antarctic oases. In winter the temperature can be on average-10grc or can drop below-40grc. The South Pole is also the "pole of cold" because the temperature can reach-90oC.
Precipitation is 100-200 mm / year, the atmosphere is low in water vapor. Cyclones also occur. The only life forms are bacteria, and primitive plants (mosses) are found on ice-free strips. But the ocean is rich in resources, phytoplankton and zooplankton are abundant, the latter being food for penguins, seals, whales.
Adelie spend most of their time near the ocean, in rocky places, suitable for nest building.
The greatest danger is represented by sea leopards that feed on any species of penguins, but especially Adelie. They hide under ice terraces and grab nearby penguins or those preparing to jump into the water.
Penguin Breeding
The mating season is in September when they form colonies. They reach sexual maturity at 8 years. They build their nests in the form of small shallows surrounded by pebbles.
They are very close to each other and are found in areas with rich polar vegetation, sometimes in the vicinity of human settlements because most of the territory on which they live is covered by ICE. The female lays 2 eggs.
The first egg is larger than the second. They are either brownish or greenish. After 30-45 days the chicks hatch from the eggs. The one who comes out first is fed first, this leads to a difference in weight between the two newborns.
This difference remains until the first chick goes into the ocean to feed. Then the smallest female gives a greater amount of food. Every mother recognizes her cub by its cry.
Eggs are hatched by both male and female. During this period, adults do not feed. The male can produce milk for the pups that comes from the esophagus (also called "emergency milk"). With this she can breastfeed for 2 weeks.
