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Gentoo penguin

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                 iGentoo Penguin
   Gentoo on Petermann Island
   Gentoo on Petermann Island

                             Conservation status

   Near Threatened (NT)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Sphenisciformes
   Family:  Spheniscidae
   Genus:   Pygoscelis
   Species: P. papua

                                Binomial name

   Pygoscelis papua
   ( Forster, 1781)
   Penguin at polish Arctowski base
   Enlarge
   Penguin at polish Arctowski base

   The Gentoo Penguin ( pronounced /ˈdʒɛntu/), Pygoscelis papua, is easily
   recognised by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the
   top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. Adult
   Gentoos reach a height of 75 to 90 cm (around 30-45 inches tall). They
   are the fastest underwater swimming penguins, reaching speeds of 36
   km/h.

   Two sub-species of this penguin are recognised: Pygoscelis papua papua
   and the smaller Pygoscelis papua ellsworthii.

   Males have a maximum weight of about 8 kg just before moulting, and a
   minimum weight of about 5.5 kg just before mating. For females the
   maximum weight is 7.5 kg just before moulting, but their weight drops
   to below 5 kg when guarding the chicks in the nest.

   Gentoos breed on many sub- Antarctic islands. The main colonies are on
   the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Kerguelen Islands; smaller
   populations are found on Macquarie Island, Heard Islands, South
   Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. The total breeding
   population is estimated to be over 300,000 pairs.

   Nests are usually made from a roughly circular pile of stones and can
   be quite large, 20 cm high and 25 cm in diameter. The stones are
   jealously guarded and their ownership can be the subject of noisy
   disputes between individual penguins. They are also prized by the
   females, even to the point that a male penguin can obtain the favours
   of a female by offering her a nice stone.

   Two eggs are laid, both weighing around 500 g. The parents share
   incubation, changing duty daily. The eggs hatch after 34 to 36 days.
   The chicks remain in the nests for about 30 days before forming
   creches. The chicks moult into sub-adult plumage and go out to sea at
   about 80 to 100 days.

   Gentoo penguins are opportunistic feeders, and around the Falklands are
   known to take roughly equal proportions of fish (Patagonotothen sp.,
   Thysanopsetta naresi, Micromesistius australis), crustaceans (Munida
   gregaria) and squid (Loligo gahi, Gonatus antarcticus, Moroteuthis
   ingens).

   Gentoos live mainly on crustaceans such as krill, with fish making up
   only about 15% of the diet.

   In the water, sea lions, leopard seals, and orca, are all predators of
   the Gentoo. On land there are no predators of the full grown gentoos,
   but birds have been known to steal their eggs and chicks.

   The Gentoo are the most timid species of penguin.

   The exact origin of the name gentoo is unclear. It was used during the
   18th century by both British and Portuguese (originating in the latter
   case from gentile) to refer to various ethnic groups, notably as a
   derogatory term for Hindus. It has been speculated that the
   characteristic white spot of the gentoo penguin may have been seen as
   similar to a turban.

Trivia

   Gentoo Linux is a Linux distribution named after this penguin, possibly
   derived from the penguin's great speed, and the fact that the penguin
   character " Tux" is the Linux mascot. However, Tux is not a Gentoo
   penguin (his exact species is unknown), given that he does not have the
   white patch that Gentoo penguins do.

Status

   Lower Risk - Near Threatened ( IUCN Red List)
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_penguin"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
