The Galapagos penguin, scientifically known as Spheniscus mendiculus, is the only species of penguin that lives north of the equator in the wild. It is also very interesting that it is the second smallest species of penguin in the world, second to Eudyptula minor. The Galapagos penguin is one of the four species in the Spheniscus genus. They live mainly on the island of Fernandina and Isabela, but can be found on the island of Bartholomew. The Galapagos penguin inhabits these islands because of the flow of the Cromwell Current, which provides cold nutrient rich water to these islands. The penguins use the cold water to cool down, which is the only reason they can survive in this location.
There are fewer than 2000 in the world, which qualifies them as an endangered species. They are threatened by the pollution, bycatch, climate change, and invasive species. Dogs and cats are two invasive species that cause harm to the penguins. The dogs spread diseases and the cats are known predators of the penguins. The majority of the mortality of the Galapagos penguins is caused by an Él Niño event in the 1980’s, which greatly affected their food supply. This event caused a 77% mortality rate in the penguins.
Galapagos penguins have no particular breeding season, but most commonly have as many as three offspring a year. This is an adaptation which allows them to cope with the varying and unreliable food sources. They usually eat small fish like mullet and sardines, like in the video linked here. The breeding process is stimulated by a drop in sea surface temperatures, which corresponds to the presence of nutrient-rich currents. They make their nests on rocky shores or sometimes burrows are dug in volcanic deposits. Two eggs are laid four days apart and the incubation of the eggs takes 38-40 days. The adult penguins sit on the eggs, rotating daily, for 30 days. At the age of 60-65 days, the chicks fledge, but before this happens they are covered with a mesoptile plumage that is brown above and white below and protects them from the harsh sun. Later in their life, the penguins form pair bonds. These mating bonds last a whole lifetime. This bond allows the penguins to begin breeding quickly when the conditions improve.
A normal day for the Galapagos Penguin includes a routine. They wake up in their burrows when the sun comes up, they spend the day eating, caring for the young, and playing or socializing with other penguins. This is the normal routine for most penguins, but researchers have identified specific traits for the Galapagos Penguin. Most of the specific traits involve their feet, because their feet are the most sensitive part of their body. When the penguins walk, they keep their flippers out. This is to prevent heat from escaping their bodies. They also pant and seek shade to keep their bodies cool on land. Also, they place their flippers over their feet when they walk on land to protect their sensitive feet from the sun light.
Do you think the Galapagos Penguins would not be endangered if the Él Niño event did not occur? What things could humans do to help the penguins deal with the heat of the islands better?
Bibliography
Bibliography
.jpg?1345903040){kind=link}
Although the El Nino caused a 77% mortality rate in the Galapagos penguins, I think that they could have still been endangered even if the event didn't occur. There are so many other things that threaten these penguins' lives, so even if the El Nino didn't happen I believe that the penguins could still potentially be endangered.
ReplyDeleteI find it very interesting that these penguins have one mate for their whole life, which is very unlike the behavior of other animals in the wild, and that their mating season is dependent on when the Cromwell Current brings in cold and nutrient rich water. Also, I agree with Emmy, I think there are too many other factors that could have contributed to there endangerment. And while El Nino definitely did have an impact on the penguins, I don't think that if it didn't occur that the penguins wouldn't still be endangered.
ReplyDeleteI think that if the Él niño hadn't occurred, then these penguins wouldn't really be endangered. The Él Niño event caused the climate to change, and the water to become warmer, ultimately hurting the penguins. If this event had not occurred, then the penguins would have been able to go into the water and cool off, and many other things. But this event changed a lot of the penguins normal activities, and ended up hurting them. I think that while this was going on, people could have built things to create more shade for the penguins so they could cool down some.
ReplyDelete