The Adélie (Pygoscelis Adeliae) is a penguin species. It can grow to a height of 70 cm, and weights between 4 and 5 Kg. They live in the Antarctica, and as all penguins, they are deft swimmers.
Origin[]
Scientific Origin[]
Adélies first originated 38 million years ago, 2 million years after the Emperor Penguin .It was first recorded as of now 19 million years ago, 5 Million Years before the Gentoo Penguin and Chinstrap Penguin appeared.
Characteristics[]
Adult[]
The adult adélie isn't too complex. It has a white belly and inner flippers, and the rest is Black. They also may have white circles around their eyes.
Chick[]
Chicks are even less detailed. They are simply brown and have a black beak.
Food Habits[]
These penguins used to base their diet on antarctic silverfish, but with the absence of Krill hunters, they decided to give it a try for easier food. It is now one of the most common food choices. As most penguins, they also eat fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
Predators[]
Skuas
Petrels
Orcas
Ocassionally sharks
Sea Leopards
Courting And Breeding[]
The Adélies court by bringing pebbles from another one's nest to their own, which female penguins find attractive. So they select the penguins with the biggest nests or the best organized one.
Caring for the Egg[]
As like most penguins, the adélie couple takes turns each day for incubating the eggs. The female lays 2 eggs, and the eggs tend to hatch on the same day, even when they were laid at different times. They take around 35 days for incubation.
Raising the Chick[]
Just like in egg incubating, the partners take turns raising the chick and giving him food, while the other parent is getting food at the sea. As all penguins, babies are fed directly from the mother's mouth.
Fun facts[]
- This penguin breeds in the south
- The "Amigos" from happy feet are Adélies
- Both chicks are born within the time span of 24 hours between each other
- Socially Akward Penguin... Yeah, he is an Adélie
- The name Adélie comes from Adéle, who was the wife of french explorer Jules Durmont d'Urville, Who discovered them in 1840
Sources[]
Various sources