Gentoo Penguins' Characteristics of Survival

Foraging and Feeding

• The Gentoo penguin diet is comprised of a number of different aquatic creatures. Gentoo penguins alter the proportion of different components of their diet depending on availability, which can be affected by the migration of prey or increased competition from other animals for particular food. This helps to ensure their survival. Most hunting takes place in shallow waters, particularly when competing for food with animals that hunt at greater depths. However, Gentoo penguins are capable of diving to depths of more than 650 feet when competing with animals that hunt in shallower water, such as adelie penguins. These birds are also able to slow their heart rate underwater, allowing them to hunt for extended periods of time.

Swimming

• Gentoo penguins are strong swimmers and can move faster underwater than any other species of bird. This helps them to catch prey and also helps them to escape from predators that live in the water. Their large, webbed feet, flat flippers and stiff tails help them to move through the water effectively. These penguins can also see more clearly when they are swimming underwater than they can on land.

Feathers

• The feathers of Gentoo penguins have several features that help to ensure their survival. The first is that they are waterproof, allowing them to hunt for food underwater. Penguins have glands that produce the oil used for waterproofing. Another useful feature is the coloring of their feathers. When a penguin is swimming underwater, its black back faces upwards. This camouflages the penguin against the bottom of the ocean, protecting it from predators in shallower water. Predators at greater depths see the white underbelly of the swimming penguin. This color camouflages it against the sky above. The large number of feathers that cover a Gentoo penguin are also excellent insulators against the cold conditions.

Young Gentoo Penguins

• Although this species may live for up to 13 years, the chance of them surviving past their first year is only 30 to 50 percent. Adult penguins, however, guard nests and young penguins fiercely in order to increase their chance of survival. Chicks will remain in the nest for around 10 weeks, only a few weeks before they gain independence. Gentoo penguins usually lay two eggs. The second is laid a few days after the first. To ensure the survival of a new generation, adults may feed only the strongest young penguin if food is very scarce.