Everyone knows penguins - these unusual birds.
With what appears to be a tailcoat on their body and red legs and beak, these beauties are very popular and loved.
Moreover, the vast majority of people think that penguins live exclusively in Antarctica.
However, this is not entirely true, the whole point is that there are as many as 18 species of penguins and only 3 of them live directly in Antarctica and its coastal waters. But first things first.
Penguins living today are flightless but good swimmers. In water, penguins move very quickly - about ten kilometers per hour. But on land they are clumsy, and although their webbed feet help penguins stay upright, they move on the ground at a speed of only a few kilometers per hour, but at the same time they are able to cover distances of up to 100 kilometers.
The harsh conditions in which some species of penguins live force them to form numerous flocks and even colonies. During severe cold and blizzards, birds cling to each other, keeping warm.
These birds feed mainly on fish - sardines, anchovies, and silverfish. And some species prefer shrimp and shellfish. Birds drink sea water.
Where do they live?
And so where do they live, these same penguins? Many of us, sometimes even for a minute, still have doubts: where in the Arctic or Antarctic? But there should be no doubt - penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere and only the Southern Hemisphere, and not only in the icy Antarctic and its coastal waters. Their habitat is very large territory- this and South part Australia, and New Zealand, and South Africa, the coast of Peru, and even the Galapagos Islands, where it is more than warm. But to be more precise...
- In our time, only two species of penguins live directly in Antarctica and its coastal waters - Adelie, Antarctic and Emperor.
- King penguins, as well as Magellans, inhabit the islands of South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, Tierra del Fuego, Macquarie, Heard, and Crozet.
- Crested penguins live on the islands of Tasmania and off the coast of Peru.
- Victoria or thick-billed penguins live on the Stewart Islands and South coast New Zealand.
- Golden-headed - inhabits the southern part of Chile, as well as the Tierra del Fuego and Falkland islands.
- Little penguins live on the coast South Australia and New Zealand.
- The main habitat for the Magnificent Penguins was the Campbell Archipelago, Bounty Island and Macquarie Island.
- Schlegel penguins also live there on Macquarie.
- Galapagos penguins, as is already clear from the name itself, live on Galapagos Islands.
- Humboldt penguins live on the coasts of Chile and Peru.
- Papuans live in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Kerguelen Archipelago.
- Spectacled penguins - coast of South Africa and Namibia.
Does a penguin live in captivity?
Penguins exist magnificently and breed very well in zoos. Moreover, it has been established that in captivity, these birds live much longer. Most likely simply because wildlife penguins have a very harsh lifestyle, which clearly does not contribute to prolongation of life - prohibitively low temperatures, difficulties with food and simply an incredible number of enemies - predators for whom penguins are a source of food.
That is why special nurseries have begun to be created these days, the main purpose of which is to help increase penguin populations.
Penguins belong to the order Penguinidae, the family of flightless seabirds. The homeland of penguins is the southern hemisphere globe. The geography of distribution is extensive: they settled in New Zealand, the Arctic, and Australia.
On earth, there are several species of penguins and they all have the same body structure. They differ in some external characteristics, size, habitat, and behavior.
Body structure
Nature made sure that penguins skillfully move through the water, so their body shape is streamlined. Birds have strong muscles. Structure bone tissue helps to work with wings like propellers. Innate adaptation; helps to hunt in water.
The chest of penguins has a pronounced keel. Muscles are attached to the keel and shoulder blades. She is responsible for lifting the wing.
Penguins have a very short tail, which tends to act as a rudder.
Penguin bones are not tubular, like those of other birds, but with internal cavities. They are similar to the bones of seals and dolphins.
Thermoregulation and plumage
The birds of the north do not freeze. Why? Birds have special plumage: thick, short feathers tightly cover the body and fit together. This structure prevents heat from leaving the bird’s body and the wind from blowing it through.
The second protective factor is a layer of fat up to 1 cm. Thanks to it, penguins swim in icy water. However, the wings and paws are devoid of feathers - these are the most weak spots. In order not to freeze, birds have established thermoregulation: when the limbs become very cold, warm arterial blood is supplied to them. Having reached problem areas, it transfers its heat venous blood, which flows in reverse; into the body.
Vision and hearing
The eyes are adapted to what birds most spend time underwater. The cornea is flat, so mild myopia is observed. Contraction of the pupils allows the eye to become accustomed to illumination at different depths.
The structure of the ears is not clearly defined. When immersed, they adhere to the body and are tightly covered with feathers, which does not allow water to penetrate the ears.
Types of penguins
If we take into account modern classification penguins, the diverse world includes 6 genera and 19 species. Let's look at several species of these birds.
Imperial
The bird got its name for its size. The Emperor Penguin is heavy and big bird. An adult male, with a body length of 115 cm, weighs 30-32 kg. With a body length of 120 cm, body weight is 40 kg. The back has black plumage, and beautiful bright yellow or orange spots are visible on the neck. The abdomen is colored White color. Lives in Antarctica. Birds inhabit the entire coast.
Royal
By external signs, this view has similarities with the previous view. However, unlike the imperial one, it has a modest body size. The plumage also has differences. Body length adult- 95-110 cm. With this body length, the northern bird weighs up to 17 kg.
The abdomen of adults is painted white. The back is black or dark gray, the head is dark. Bright spots stand out on the chest and head. The geographical distribution is quite extensive. The species lives on the South Sandwich Islands, the coastal waters of Lusitania, on the islands of Tierra del Fuego, Macquarie, and Kerguelen.
Crested
This population of beautiful representatives of the genus with an interesting crest on the head is on the verge of extinction. The crest is a feature of the species. With a body length of 50 cm, the weight of the bird is 3 kg.
The abdomen is painted white. The eyes are red. The back and wings are gray-black. The bird's eyebrows are stripes of yellow feathers. Further, the feathers move down and form simple tufts on both sides of the eyes. The crown is decorated with beautiful black feathers. There are 2 varieties of crested penguin: southern and northern. The types have minor differences. The southern crested penguin has longer feathers and wider eyebrows. The population has spread to islands located in Atlantic Ocean: Tristan da Cunha, Gough.
Golden-haired
The golden-haired representative of the species is practically no different from other species. The only difference that distinguishes representatives of this species is the golden tufts of feathers located above the eyes.
The weight of birds, with a body length of 60 cm, does not exceed 5 kg. A group of birds nests on the islands of the Subantarctic, on the southern shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Small
Miniature individuals of this species, with a height of 30 cm, have a body weight of only 1 kg. The chest and legs are colored light gray, may have a whitish tint, and the back is blue-black. Range: New Zealand, Australia, Stewart Island.
Magnificent or Yellow-Eyed
A rare creature that differs from the miniature beauty in its larger size. They are 2 times larger than dwarf individuals. A bright yellow stripe runs along the head.
Adele
The bird is of medium size. With a body length of 65 cm, an adult weighs 6 kg. The abdomen is painted white, the back is black. The eyes are surrounded by a white ring. Adélie's only habitat is Antarctica and all adjacent territories: the South Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands.
Antarctic
This species is a relative of the Adélie penguin. Its range extends to Antarctica and can be found on icebergs in Antarctica.
Subantarctic or Papuan
If you put the main emperor, king and gentoo penguin in one line, the latter will take 3rd place in terms of body length and weight. The body reaches 85 cm in length, and the bird weighs 7-8.5 kg.
For this species, the typical color is a white belly and a dark back. The legs and beak are bright orange.
Where do penguins live? Subantarctic zone, Antarctica - the range of Papuan species.
Galapagos
One of the varieties of spectacled penguins. The range does not fall on cold continents. They are found on the Galapagos Islands, where the air temperature rarely drops below +18 C. Adult representatives of the species, with their offspring, swim in warm water, the temperature of which is not typical for penguins. It is +22 C. Galapagos penguins feed on small fish and crustaceans. With a body length of 0.5 meters, the bird weighs 2.5 kg.
Spectacled
What nicknames did the spectacled penguin get? It is also called blackfoot, donkey and African. An adult representative of the species, with a body length of 65 cm, has a body weight of 3-4 kg. At the bottom of the abdomen there is a curved black stripe, similar to a horseshoe. Such a small thing; distinguishes the spectacled penguin from other species.
Black-footed beauties live in Namibia and adore coastal areas with a cold current, where they lay eggs.
Where do penguins live
The range of birds is quite wide, but they prefer to be in cold climatic conditions. Birds have colonized the cold zones of the Southern Hemisphere. Massive concentrations of adult representatives of the species can be seen in the Subantarctic and Antarctic. Can be found in Peru, on the Galapagos Islands.
How long do penguins live?
The lifespan of flightless birds depends on the species. The lifespan of small species is 10-12 years. Imperial or royal representatives of the clan good conditions and sufficient nutrition can live for a quarter of a century. For flightless birds, great danger represent mammals, predator fish, huge birds.
Penguins living in zoos are not in danger. They are looked after and inaccessible to their natural enemies. But this does not affect life expectancy in any way.
Research has shown that penguins are among the birds that are susceptible to infectious diseases respiratory tract. In case of mass infection, entire colonies die. In the penguinarium you can communicate with birds. At good content and appropriate treatment, the life of the bird can be extended to 30 years.
What do penguins eat?
The birds' diet includes crustaceans, fish, plankton and small mollusks. Penguins like anchovies, Antarctic silverfish, squid, sardines, krill, and octopus.
Depending on the type of northern bird and the body’s need for food, a bird can dive under water more than 800 times in one hunt. Some individuals become satisfied within 200 dives.
If you consider the structure of the nose of an inhabitant of cold areas, it works like a pump: the bird passes small prey along with water through its beak.
To satisfy their hunger, penguins have to swim 27 km. The bird can stay underwater (at a depth of 3 meters) for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Penguin breeding
Antarctic birds lead a collective lifestyle. While in the water, penguins gather in flocks. When they come to land, they form colonies. If we count the adult inhabitants of the ice, included in one colony, the number reaches tens, hundreds and even thousands of individuals. Birds are monogamous, so they mate once and for life.
Adults become ready to mate and hatch offspring by 2-5 years of age. Females mature much earlier than males. Some species are ready to mate at 2 years of age, others can have offspring only at the age of 3 years, and golden-haired representatives mate only at 5 years.
When males reach sexual maturity and are ready to mate, their loud cries can be heard spreading throughout the continent. The voice produced by northern birds is similar to the sound of a trumpet. Such loud sounds the male is trying to attract the female's attention.
Nearby rocky shores become a favorite nesting place for penguins. Some species build rather simple and primitive nests, consisting only of pebbles and including sparse vegetation. Others prefer depressions located in the rocks.
There is a maximum of 2 eggs in one clutch. True, cases have been recorded when 3 eggs, painted white or green, were found in one clutch.
Both the male and the female incubate the chicks. If the male goes hunting, he is replaced by a female, and the male lets the female go to eat.
The incubation time of the chicks depends on the species. In time, this lasts 1-3.5 months. Blind penguin chicks are born with clearly visible pubescence on their body. Weight little cub does not exceed 300 g.
But not all hatched chicks survive; many die from cold and hunger.
Parents only care for their children for 21 days. At this time, they warm them and bring food. Then they leave the children and the kids have no choice but to gather in numerous colonies or nurseries; This makes it easier for them to survive low temperatures and obtain food. Caring for the young falls on the shoulders of adult specimens that have lost their clutch. Adults begin to feed the babies and keep them warm.
Little penguins spend almost all their time on land, and begin to dive only when the first moult has passed.
Is a penguin an animal or a bird?
Penguins have wings, but they cannot fly. The question is, is a penguin a bird or an animal? In fact, adult specimens can take to the air, but their flight is limited to short distances.
Penguins lead a sedentary lifestyle, they have everything at their fingertips; Based on their living environment, we can conclude that the penguin is a bird and it has stopped flying.
Penguins... where do these extraordinary birds live? “Of course, in Antarctica!” - you will answer... and you will be wrong!
More precisely, they are not entirely right. Ice continent- the main, but not the only habitat of representatives of the penguin family (the only one in the order Penguinidae); they live in Australia, New Zealand, and even Africa. There are 18 species in the family - and each species has its own “place of residence”.
But the homeland of penguins is still Antarctica. It was not always covered with ice - in ancient times the climate there was temperate, but during continental drift it ended up at the South Pole and became what we know it now. Many of the animals that inhabited it died out, others moved to warmer latitudes - but the penguins were able to adapt... although not all of them. Some of their species also became extinct - in particular, the giant penguin, whose height was comparable to the height of modern humans.
Today, the largest penguins belong to the genus of emperor penguins, which includes two species - the emperor proper and the royal (slightly smaller in size). They are approximately the height of a 4-5 year old child (110-120 cm) and weigh up to 46 kg. These are not only the largest penguins, but also the most famous (as a rule, when we hear the word “penguin,” we imagine the emperor penguin). They live on ice floes around Antarctica, but during the breeding season they move to the mainland (no other penguins go as far south as they do). They also have one more difference from all other penguin species: they do not build nests, but incubate eggs in a fold of skin on their belly.
And the smallest penguins (their species is called the little penguin) live on the coast of New Zealand and South Australia, as well as on nearby islands. Their height does not exceed 40 cm, and their weight is 1 kg. The peculiarity of their reproduction is that the male and female take turns incubating the eggs, “handing over duty” after a few days.
But the magnificent penguin became famous for being depicted on the five New Zealand dollar bill. In the Maori language (aboriginals of New Zealand), such a penguin is called Hoiho - an onomatopoeic name that imitates the cry of these birds. Hoiho penguins differ from all other penguins in that they do not create colonies, but live in separate nests - and at the same time they are distinguished by exceptional “marital fidelity”: couples nest from year to year, the bird takes on a new partner only after the death of the previous one.
Penguins were also featured in heraldry: The coat of arms and flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands features the golden-haired penguin, so named because of the tufts of long yellow feathers arranged in the manner of "eyebrows". However, the name “golden-haired” is accepted in Russian-language literature, and in English it is called the macaroni penguin - so in England in the 18th century. they called cutesy dandies in extravagant suits with an abundance of accessories.
There's a lot to be said about penguins.– the birds are unusual, each of the 18 species has its own characteristics – and extremely interesting ones. It is even more sad that some of their species are endangered. In the 19th century they were exterminated for their fat. Today, penguins are also threatened by pollution of their habitat by oil waste (on the coast South Africa And South America), and uncontrolled fishing of fish and squid, which deprives them of food, and many other consequences human activity. I would like to hope that it was not in vain that they were included in the Red Book - and that they will be preserved.
In the meantime, penguins “live” not only in the wild and zoos, but also in works of art. Thus, A. France wrote the satirical novel “Island of Penguins,” and L. Semyonov-Spassky wrote the children’s book “Little Penguin Pinya.” But filmmakers especially love penguins - just remember the cartoons “Little Penguin Lolo”, “Happy Feet”, “Catch the Wave!” and of course – the most charming four “militarized” penguins from the cartoon “Madagascar”.
In Europe, funny birds in black tailcoats became known at the beginning of the sixteenth century thanks to sailors from Portugal. Interesting Facts stories about penguins immediately endeared them to Europeans.
The name "penguin" comes from English word penguin. According to one of the existing versions, translated from Welsh pengwyn means white head. Which is very suitable for describing these most interesting creatures nature. Antarctic penguins are the only birds on the planet that cannot fly, but at the same time swim well and move on land.
Antarctic penguin species
This family includes about twenty species. People know many interesting facts about penguins. Representatives of each species have their own curious characteristics that distinguish them from each other.
Magellanic and magnificent penguins are one of the world's most endangered species.
Adélie is the most common species of the entire family. received the name of the area where they were first noticed - Adélie Land.
Galapagos are the northern representatives of the genus. They live very close to the equator in the Galapagos archipelago at high temperatures, not typical of penguins. These cuties, unfortunately, may soon disappear from the face of the Earth; they are threatened with extinction.
Papuan - this type ranks third in size after emperor and king penguins.
Stone - these representatives of the family are aggressive and loud, they are distinguished by the most evil disposition.
Imperial - the most known species worldwide. Except large sizes They stand out among their fellows for their extraordinary tolerance of severe frosts. These birds don't mind the cold. They are even found on the mainland of Antarctica.
It is very sad to note the fact that in our time most species are under threat of extinction.
Natural habitat of penguins
Penguins naturally live only in the southern hemisphere of the planet. Their habitat is Antarctica, Australia, Africa and New Zealand. Birds are found in the tropics, but this does not mean that in local water bodies the Galapagos Islands are the most warm place residence of flightless birds. The largest populations of penguins are observed on the coast of Antarctica, nearby islands and huge ice floes.
Description
Antarctic penguins, depending on the species category, differ significantly from each other in weight, height and appearance. Their weight can vary from 1 to 45-50 kg, and their height ranges from 30 cm to 1 meter, although some individuals are found much taller and more massive. It depends on the climate in which the birds live. In those places where the air temperature is lower, the most people live large species, the top spot on this list is emperor penguin. The smallest penguins live in New Zealand and Australia, this species is called "little penguins". Their weight is only about one kilogram.
The body of birds is streamlined, thanks to this they can swim freely and deftly under water. They have developed muscles, muscle mass makes up about 30% of the total body weight. The bones are dense without cavities; this distinguishes penguins from flying birds, whose bones are tubular and light.
Three layers of numerous waterproof “hairs” are the plumage of handsome men in “tailcoats”. The air between the feathers warms the body while swimming in cold water. During the molting period, the plumage completely changes. During the change of “clothes,” the birds cannot swim, so they are forced to remain hungry until they “change” into new feathers. It is worth noting that penguins do not freeze thanks to a three-centimeter layer of fat.
What do penguins eat?
While underwater, cute divers see very well, much better than on land. To the question of what penguins eat, the answer is simple - fish. Schooling species of these sea inhabitants are the basis of the diet. Sardine, horse mackerel, and anchovy are the favorite foods of birds. This diet is diluted with squid and krill.
Throughout the day, the penguin dives underwater 300 to 900 times to get food. During hatching of eggs and molting, when it is not possible to go fishing, birds can lose half of their total weight.
Wild Lifestyle
A group of penguins communicate with each other using exclamations, and each species has its own sounds. Spectacled penguins produce calls that resemble those of donkeys.
As mentioned earlier, these cute creatures cannot fly, although they have wings, but they swim and dive excellently, and in extremely cold conditions. Underwater they are able to move at a speed of 10 km/h, but this is only on average. At short distances, the Gentoo penguin, which is distinguished by its speed, can reach speeds of up to 30-35 km/h.
Birds that are accustomed to it can stay under water for 1-1.5 minutes without a break, while diving to a depth of 15-20 meters. But again, among all species there are record divers. The emperor penguin easily dives to a depth of about 500 meters and spends up to 15-18 minutes there.
Birds jump out of the water, the height of their jump can be up to 2 meters, thanks to this they immediately find themselves on land. While on the shore, these excellent swimmers behave very awkwardly. They walk slowly, waddling from side to side, partly in this way penguins save heat and energy. Where there is even the slightest ice slide, the birds fall on their bellies and slide down, as if on a sled.
Reproduction
During the breeding season, penguins gather in large colonies to raise their chicks. Mating season at various types passes into different time. To hatch eggs, birds build nests from what they have at hand. It could be stones, grass, leaves. The exception is emperor and king penguins; they place their eggs in a special fold on their belly. There they stay until the chicks hatch.
The incubation period lasts from one to two months. If initially there were two eggs and two chicks hatched, then the parents give all their attention to their first-born, and the second baby, as a result of such an unfair attitude of mom and dad, may die of hunger, which is what happens in most cases.
Natural enemies
The lives of penguins are constantly in danger. In nature, these cute creatures have plenty of enemies, not counting the destructive human activities, which have the greatest impact on the decline in the Antarctic bird population.
The hardest thing is for little penguins, about 50% of which die in the first year of their lives. The main enemies of the chicks are, for example, the giant southern petrel. In addition to the danger of dying from claws, babies are constantly at risk of death from starvation.
Natural enemies of adult penguins are considered sea predators. These include sharks, killer whales, seals, leopards and About 6-10% of birds die as a result of collisions with these animals.
To the above, we can also add that feral dogs abandoned by people are also very dangerous for settlements of clumsy creatures that are unable to escape from enemies on land. In the twentieth century, entire colonies of penguins were destroyed by wild dogs on the Galapagos Islands.
In the colonies of these flightless birds different types a lot of interesting things are happening. We will now present to your attention some interesting facts about penguins:
Real “kindergartens” are being created in penguin colonies. Chicks aged 4-6 weeks gather in one place, and several adult “educators” are left to watch the babies. Parents can therefore do anything free time devote themselves to searching for food for themselves and their chicks.
. Watching penguins, you can see that when they approach the shore, at first they just stand, looking at each other; no one dares to dive for a long time. After some time, there is one pioneer who boldly jumps into the water. Everyone else immediately rushes after him. This behavior is called the “penguin effect.” By the way, the same situations often arise among people.
To swim faster, penguins move by jumping out of the water, like dolphins.
. Birds can drink salty sea water because they have special glands that remove excess salt from the body.
. During warming, in order not to fall through the ice, penguins move by sliding on their stomachs, pushing off with their paws and wings.
When it comes to penguins - these flightless seabirds - the imagination usually pictures the white expanses of Antarctica and icy waters ocean. However, the continent is south pole is not the only habitat of these cute birds. About eighteen species settled in different parts southern hemisphere planets. The most famous among them is the imperial one - the largest in the family.
It grows up to 110-120 cm. The smallest is the little penguin. Compared to the imperial one, it is just a dwarf with a height of 30-45 cm. prehistoric times There were about 40 more species that are now extinct.
You don't have to go on a polar expedition to meet black and white waterfowl. Test yourself to see if you know where penguins live and what they are like, why they are not afraid of polar bears and who is the main enemy of flightless birds.
In Antarctica and nearby islands live emperor penguin And Adele. The ocean is a kind of dining room. Although these birds are excellent swimmers and feed on fish and crustaceans in coastal waters, they do not swim far. Being social creatures, they sometimes gather in huge colonies, some of which number about tens of thousands of individuals. In a large group it is easier to survive and raise offspring.
Apart from Antarctica, penguins are home to:
- New Zealand;
- Australia (south);
- South America (west coast);
- southern Africa;
- The Galapagos Islands, located, by the way, closer to the equator.
It's unlikely you'll ever get to Kerguelen, Macquarie, Heard, or the South Sandwich Islands to see king penguin. The most accessible place for observation is the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. There you will meet golden-headed And Magellanic penguins.
Falkland Islands - territory gentoo penguin.
Galapagos is the most northern point area where the species of the same name lives.
Once in Tasmania or on the South American coast, you can meet crested penguin. It also lives on the islands of the Subantarctic. The species got its name from its bright yellow feathers that resemble bushy eyebrows. This feature sets it apart from other members of the family.
South Australia and New Zealand are suitable for observing little penguin. In addition to him, in this area you can also meet him white-winged relative The south of New Zealand sheltered Victoria penguin.
Africa is traditionally associated with deserts and heat. However, from the south it is surrounded by the cold Bengal Current, thanks to which they settled in South Africa and Namibia and the nearby islands spectacled penguins . They are also called donkey because of the characteristic cry, Blackfoot or African.
When wondering where penguins live, people often confuse the names of regions. Without hesitation, they say that these birds live in the Arctic. However, the region mentioned is adjacent to the North Pole and includes coastal zone North America, Eurasia, Northern waters Arctic Ocean. If you suddenly become interested in ornithology and decide to watch amazing birds in nature, don't look for them in the Arctic!
Some people are easily confused by the question of whether polar bears eat penguins. The answer is simple - no. Polar bears live in the Arctic, i.e. they are common at the opposite pole of the Earth. The polar bear and the emperor penguin have never met in the wild and are unaware of each other's existence. Natural enemies of black and white birds in Antarctica and other regions are leopard seals, lions and seals, killer whales and sharks, lying in wait for prey in the ocean depths. On the land greatest danger For the young, the brown skua and some gulls are represented. But polar bears hunt sea animals - seals, walruses, sea hares at home in the Arctic.
After the release of the cartoon “Penguins of Madagascar”, users began to wonder whether cold-loving birds really live on this island? In Madagascar, located east of African continent, there are no penguins. They were sent there by the imagination of DreamWorks studio animators, and even then as adventurers, not aborigines.
In the Soviet-Japanese cartoon “The Adventures of Little Penguin Lolo,” the action of which takes place in Antarctica, the heroes meet king penguins. However, you already know that only the emperor penguin and the Adélie penguin live there.
Threat of extinction
It is human nature to first mindlessly destroy and then try to preserve what remains. Once upon a time, penguins were killed en masse for their subcutaneous fat and their eggs were collected. Now, although the hunt has stopped, new dangers have arisen. Due to human activity, where penguins live, the habitat of these amazing birds is being reduced and the balance of the ecosystem is being disrupted. Feathered fish hunters have to compete with fishing boats. Penguins are suffering due to oil spills. As a result negative influence civilization, three species (crested, magnificent, Galapagos) were declared endangered at the beginning of our century. Another seven species are considered endangered. Only the inhabitants of Antarctica, as well as the royal one, are out of danger. Their numbers have even increased due to the decline in the population of baleen whales due to active hunting of them.
In the northern hemisphere, penguins can only be seen in the zoo, and only here do polar bears become their neighbors. In captivity, birds are provided with appropriate conditions for life. On the one hand, due to the lack natural enemies they are able to live to their maximum age. On the other hand, zoos pose a different kind of danger - a fungal infection that affects the respiratory system. To protect penguins from this scourge, they are kept behind glass. Only with careful observance of all conditions of detention, which only professionals can provide, can we guarantee long life penguin in captivity.
Memory poem
If, after everything you've read, you still can't remember where polar bears live and where penguins live, read this short poem:
This is the continent of Antarctica.
There are two types of penguins here.
The largest is the imperial one,
He hunts fish expertly.
Others, smaller ones - Adele,
What black tailcoats they wore.
But if you are very brave,
You dream of white bears -
Then you are in the north, in the Arctic,
Get to know them in practice.
Remember - polar bears and penguins live in opposite hemispheres of the Earth!
Video about where penguins live
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