Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis
papua)
Status: No special status.
Characteristics: Sociable.
Area: Antarctic.
Offspring: Two eggs.
Predators: Leopard seal, killer whale.
Trivia:
· All penguin species are protected by law from hunting and egg collecting.
· Gentoo penguins are featured on five postage stamps from around the world.
· The nickname of the gentoo is the Johnny penguin.
· They can run, jump, and slide on their bellies on sand or ice.
· Gentoos can swim up to 15 mph underwater.
· Penguins sometimes steal stones from each other’s nests.
Gentoo penguins are the largest of the brush-tailed penguins found in the Antarctic. They have a black head, wings, tail and back with white undersides, and are easy to distinguish from other penguins by the white stripe that runs across the top of the head from one eye to the other. Although gentoos socialize with each other, they’re more timid of outsiders than other penguins. The bill of a gentoo is a bright orange, their eyes are brown and their feet are yellow or orange. Males and female are the same in appearance, but the females are slightly smaller. Gentoo penguins live in cold climates and catch fish by diving into the icy water. They’re quick swimmers, using their flippers and tail to propel them through the water. A large percentage of their diet is made up of krill, a small shrimp-like crustacean.
Gentoo penguins can be found in the Antarctic on coastal islands such as the South Shetland Islands, as well as South Georgia, Heard, Kerguelen, and the Falklands. Gentoos have a smaller population than any other penguin, but their numbers are stable at approximately 600,000.
Breeding takes place from late October to February, but gentoos build their nests early to avoid competition with other penguins. A penguin couple builds a nest on the ground by digging out a shallow indentation or on rocky ground, by pushing together pebbles and rocks in a circular formation, and lining the nest with twigs and/or grass. They live within large colonies that include Adélie and chinstrap penguins, although gentoos tend to be less gregarious. The female lays two eggs, two to three days apart. The parents take turns sitting on the eggs—switching places every day. In a little over a month, the eggs hatch. The chicks grow quickly, and are covered by a soft, gray down with white undersides. They huddle against their parents for warmth and protection. When they’re approximately one month old, the youngsters form groups with other penguins their own age. By the time they reach three months, the chicks have grown in their waterproof feathers and are old enough to be self-sufficient. The average lifespan of a gentoo penguin is 15 to 20 years.