Tag Archives: Antartica

Adélie Penguin

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Adélie Penguin

They may not be the emperor, but Adélie penguins sure are fascinating.

  • Adélie penguins are a common species of medium-sized penguin native to Antarctica and nearby islands in the Southern Ocean.
  • The scientific name of an Adélie penguin is Pygoscelis adeliae and it is from the family Spheniscidae, the family of penguins.
  • The height of Adélie penguins is usually between 40 to 75 centimetres  (16 to 30 inches), and they generally weigh between 3 to 6 kilograms (6.6 to 13.2 pounds)
  • The feathers on the back half of Adélie penguins is black, as is all of the head, while the front half is coloured white except for the head, and there is a white line encircling the eyes.
  • The diet of Adélie penguins consists primarily of krill, squid, and fish such as silverfish, and they are preyed on by orcas and leopard seals, as well as birds known as ‘skuas’, and they have an average lifespan of ten to twenty years.
Adélie Penguin, Animal, Bird, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Antarctica
Adélie Penguin
Image courtesy of Christopher Michel/Flickr
  • Adélie penguins are found on ice shelves in the winter where they hunt for their food; and they live in large colonies and breed in the spring and summer months on land where there is no ice.
  • Female Adélie penguins typically lay two eggs in a rock nest, that are incubated by both the female and her life long male partner, and while one sits on the eggs or looks after the young, the other is absent searching for food for up to ten to twelve days at a time.
  • Adélie penguins can travel distances of roughly 13,000 kilometres (8078 miles) or greater each year, to and from the breeding grounds in the south, to hunting grounds further north.
  • Adélie penguins can swim at speeds of 72 kilometres per hour (45 miles per hour), and they can reach depths of up to 175 metres (574 feet) in water.
  • Food eaten by Adélie penguins is not chewed, but swallowed, due to the teeth-like protrusions found inside their mouth that are designed to grip onto the food, and the penguins are able to eat up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of food in a single day.
Bibliography:
Adélie Penguin, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/birds/adelie-penguin/
Adélie Penguin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad%C3%A9lie_penguin
Adelie Penguin, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/adelie-penguin/

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Lake Vostok

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Lake Vostok

Lake Vostok is a preserved jewel of Antarctica.

  • Lake Vostok is a very large water lake that exists underneath an ice glacier in Antarctica, and despite being submerged in darkness, it contains numerous micro-organisms, some of which are not uncommon in other water bodies.
  • Lake Vostok is the largest known underground lake in Antarctica, covering up to 14,000 square kilometres (5405 square miles) in area and reaching estimated depths of 510 to 900 metres (1700 to 3000 feet).
  • Andrey Kapitsa, Russian geographer, accurately predicted the existence and location of Lake Vostok in the early 1960s.
  • ‘Lake Vostok’ was named after the Russian research station, Vostok Station, that is situated directly above the lake.
  • The Russians were not only the discoverers of Lake Vostok, but also the earliest to theorise the existence of underground lakes in Antarctica, first led by Peter Kropotkin, scientist, in the 1800s.
Lake Vostok, Satellite, Colour, Blue, Ice, Ten Random Facts, NASA, AntarticaSatellite Image of Lake Vostok
Image courtesy of NASA
  • Despite evidence of Lake Vostok’s existence, the lake was never actually confirmed until 1993, and it was not until early 2012 when the lake’s surface was first penetrated.
  • It is possible that the water of Lake Vostok is gradually cycled throughout thousands of years, as water is lost while the above glacier is mobile, and is in turn replaced by ice melting.
  • Despite the freezing temperatures of Antarctica, and even though the water temperature of Lake Vostok is approximately minus three degrees Celsius (26.6 degrees Fahrenheit), the lake remains unfrozen due to the enormous pressure it sits under.
  • Tides are evident in Lake Vostok, and therefore are dependent on planetary positioning, while the lake’s surface can reach up to 1.2 centimetres (0.47 inches) higher than normal as a result.
  • One of the longest ice cores,  drilled from more than 3,600 metres (11,811 feet) deep, has been extracted during the studies of Lake Vostok, despite the lake being only 500 metres (1640 feet) below sea level, as the ice above is up to 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) thick.
Bibliography:
Lake Vostok, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Vostok
Lake Vostok mysteries: Biologists find over 3,500 life forms in isolated Antarctic basin, 2013, RT, http://rt.com/news/lake-vostok-bacteria-dna-745/
Maxwell B, Broughton D, Rogers J & Weymouth W, Ethics of Subglacial lake Exploration in Antarctica, 2012, University of Canterbury, http://www.anta.canterbury.ac.nz/documents/PCAS_14/SyndicateReports/Subglacial%20Lake%20Exploration%20Syndicate%20Report.pdf

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Emperor Penguin

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Emperor Penguin

Waddle like an emperor penguin.

  • Native to Antarctica, the emperor penguin is an aquatic species of  feathered bird, and is black-headed and black-backed, with a white torso and yellow neck.
  • The scientific name of emperor penguins is Aptenodytes forsteri, and they are from the family of penguins, Spheniscidae.
  • Of all species of penguin alive today, emperor penguins have the greatest height and weight, with up to 122 centimetres (48 inches) and between 22 to 45 kilograms (49 to 99 pounds) respectively.
  • Fish, squid and crustaceans are the main items in an emperor penguin’s diet, while they are preyed on by larger birds, whales and seals, and when breeding, if one emperor penguin out of a twosome becomes the meal of a predator, the egg or chick is deserted and the surviving penguin goes off to find food.
  • Emperor penguins can survive very deep depths of water, up to 535 metres (1,735 feet) or more from the surface, having the capacity to stay under water for at least 20 minutes, and can swim at speeds of up to 9 kph (6 mph).
Emperor Penguin, White, Black, Two, Pair, Antarctica, Cold, Ten Random Facts, National Geographic
Emperor
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Emperor penguins have a high density layer of  insulating feathers and fat, strong bones, and can survive on low oxygen levels.
  • Of all the species of penguin, emperor penguins are the only ones with winter as its breeding season, laying one egg every season, in breeding colonies of thousands.
  • Emperor penguins generally live to be 15-20 years old, although only 20% to 30% (approximately) of chicks born, live longer than a year.
  • The first person to discover the emperor penguins was possibly Johann Forster, a naturalist from Germany, in 1773 or 1774, although this is uncertain, however the the scientific name of the penguins is named after him.
  • Emperor penguins generally moult from January to February, typically moulting for a month, shedding their feathers quicker than most birds.
Bibliography:
Emperor Penguin, 2013, Animal Fact Guide, http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/emperor-penguin/
Emperor Penguin, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Penguin

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Polar Bear

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Polar Bear

Unique white bears.

  • Polar bears are found in one of the coldest parts of the Earth – the Arctic region.
  • The scientific name for a polar bear is Ursus maritimus, meaning sea or marine bear, and they are the worlds biggest bear along with the Kodiak bear, and they have no predators.
  • Polar bears have camouflaging, white, warm fur and a thick layer of blubber that helps to protect the animal from the cold and also gives buoyancy in the water, and underneath the fur they have black skin that absorbs heat from the sun.
  • Polar bears can grow up to, from head to body, 2.2 to 2.5 meters (7.25 to 8 feet) in length and weigh up to 250 to 720 kg (550 to 1600 pounds).
  • Seals are the main food in the polar bear’s carnivorous diet but they also eat already dead animals such as whales.

Polar Bear, Canada, Churchhill, Black, White, Snow, Coat, Look, National Geoghraphic, Ten Random Facts

Polar Bear
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Female polar bears have their babies in winter (November to January) in an ice den in which they build and stay in from autumn, and usually give birth to two cubs.
  • Baby polar bears leave their mother at approximately 2 ½ years old, when they are weaned and have learnt all survival skills.
  • Polar bears tend to stalk and prey on seals, and have an excellent sense of smell and can detect a seal that is over 1.5 km (0.9 miles) away.
  • Polar bears have rough paw surfaces to easily grip on the ice and they are strong, long distance swimmers.
  • It is estimated that there are 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears left in the world, and it has become illegal to hunt polar bears in most countries, although indigenous people that rely on polar bears for food or income are still allowed to hunt them.
Bibliography:
Polar Bear, 2013, National Geographic, <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/polar-bear/>

Leopard Seal

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Leopard Seal

Has spots, but not a leopard.

  • Leopard seals are the second largest seal species in Antarctica, ranging from 2.4 – 3.5 metres (8.4 – 11.7 feet) long and 200 to 600 kilograms (440 to 1,300 pounds) in weight.
  • Leopard seals are most common in the Southern Hemisphere, especially on the coast of Antarctica.
  • Leopard seals have a typical lifespan of 26 years or more.
  • Leopard seals have only a couple of predators – large sharks and killer whales (orcas).
  • Leopard seals have dark grey coloured backs, light grey coloured underside and black spotted, white skin necks.

Leopard Seal, Front, Ice Floe, National Geographic, Ten Random Facts

Leopard Seal
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Female leopard seals are generally larger than males.
  • Leopard seals don’t make many sounds, but sometimes makes grunting and growling noises.
  • Leopard seals don’t normally live in groups, except to mate.
  • A leopard seals diet includes krill, fish, penguins and sometimes other seals.
  • Leopard seals rarely attack people, even though they are considered quite dangerous, and the first recorded fatality was in 2003  in Antarctica.
Bibliography:
Leopard seal 30 January 2013 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_seal>
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