Animals in Antarctic

Animals in Antarctic

1. Penguins

   • Adelie
     • 30" tall
     • 11 lbs
     • 2.5 million pair
     • eat fish & krill
     • circular mount nests made of stones & pebbles
     • humans can eat eggs & meat
     • white "tuxedo shirt" front
     • white ring around eyes
     • reddish beak with black tip
     • main predator is leopard seal
   • Emperor
     • 40" tall
     • 88 lbs
     • 200,000 pair
     • Weddell & Ross Sea regions
     • eat fish, squid & crustacens
     • no nests
     • largest of all penguins
     • most biologically interesting
     • remain in Antarctica permanently
     • only Antarctic bird that breeds in winter
     • male can lose 1/3 of body weight when caring for a chick
   • Gentoo
     • 30" tall
     • 12 lbs
     • 300,000 pair
     • eats fish & krill
     • high snow free grounds for nests
     • large breeding colonies on South Georgia Island
     • bright red-orange bills
     • white patches behind eyes
     • long stiff tail feathers stick out when they walk

2. Seals

   • Elephant Seals
     • Males - 20' long
     • Females - 10' long
     • 4 ton
     • 1 ton
     • 700,000 individuals
     • eat fish, squid
     • named for massive size
     • trunk-like noses
     • cumbersome on land
     • few if any predators
     • can dive underwater for a couple hours
     • males compete quite aggressively for breeding rights
   • Leopard Seals
     • 10' long
     • 750 lbs
     • 250,000
     • eats penguins, fish, squid, krill
     • considered most ferocious seal in Antarctic
     • will prey on other seals
     • impressively long, sharp teeth
     • solitary by nature
     • may live for 26+ years
     • only known predator is the Killer Whale

3. Other Birds

   • Albatross
     • 21 species
     • 11' wingspan
     • 18 lbs
     • 21,000 pairs
     • eat fish, squid
     • live about 50 years
     • can live to 80-85 years
     • often follow visiting ships
     • considered to be most majestic of all Antarctic birds
     • mainly white
     • supreme gliders
   • Polar Skuas
     • 4' wingspan
     • 4 lbs
     • several thousand pair
     • eat fish, squid, eggs, chicks, carrion, krill
     • large, heavily built
     • look like immature gulls
     • live near Adelie penguins
     • nickname of "Raptor of the South"
     • live about 11 years
   • Snow Petrel
     • 1.5' wingspan
     • 1 lb
     • 1000 pairs
     • eat fish, krill, squid, mollusks, carrion
     • name means "Little Peter"
     • dense plummage
     • webbed feet
     • deeply grooved & hooked bills

4. www.antarcticconnection.com