Why Penguins Huddle
Why do penguins huddle? Do a group of penguins have a better chance of
survival in the cold than a single penguin?
Introduction
The ability to withstand intense cold is one of the penguin’s greatest
assets. Most penguins have rather small feet, wings and heads. The
relatively small surface area in comparison to its volume results in
excellent heat conservation. Many penguins, in addition have a think
insulating layer of fat under the skin. Their closely aligned
veinlarteries enable them to recycle their own body temperature. The
emperor penguins, weight about 27-32 kg are the best equipped of all.
They have nasal chambers which recover heat loss through breathing. On
very cold days, as many as 10 penguins pack into every square metre of
a huddle. This helps warm the penguins because they transfer heat
between individuals, and also reduce their surface area significantly.
On a functional level, huddling cuts the heat loss by as much as 50%,
and enables them to survive the long incubation fast since the warmer
they are, the longer their fat lasts. The temperature inside a huddle
can be as high as +35 degrees Celsius. Penguins take turns to occupy
the warmest and coldest positions in the huddle. On windy days, those
on the windward edge feel the cold more than those in the centre and
down-wind. They follow one another in a continuous procession, passing
through the warm centre of the huddle and eventually returning back to
the windward edge. Because of this constant circulation the huddle
gradually moves downwind. During a 48 hour blizzard, the huddle may
shift as much as 200m.
Aim
The aim of this experiment is to find out whether a group of penguins
have a better chance of survival in the cold than a single penguin.
Prediction
I predict that a group of penguin will loss less heat than a single
Minks and humans share various common characteristics because of their common roots in the animal kingdom. Both Human and Mink species are classified as Animalia Chordata Mammalia until they are separated by order, Humans being primates and Minks being in the order carnivora. It is because of their common roots that they have similar muscles types with similar functions, which help them survive and function throughout their individual habitats.
One source commented “They were blindfolded with ice and didn’t flush” (Heynen 1). Helpless animals outside in the freezing rain and temperatures, there aren’t many people who would go out and help them. The Story “What Happened during the Ice Storm” by Jim Heynen is about just that, a group of boys go out in the “Icy rain. Their breath came out in slow puffs of steam” (Heynen 1), and all just to help a group of pheasants who could not help themselves. After carefully analyzing the story, the reader understands both the theme, and what the author says about human nature through the actions of the boys and the diction.
Somewhat more precise descriptions can be made by using the terms poikilothermic and homoiothermic. The body temperature of poikllotherms is relatively variable, while that of homeotherms is relatively constant.
Metabolic rate is directly linked to the core temperature in an animal. An ectotherm, or cold blooded animal, warms its body mainly by absorbing heat from its surroundings. The amount of heat it derives from its metabolism is negligible. In contrast, endotherms derive most or all of its body heat from its own metabolism (Campbells,p899). Because ectotherms do not produce their own heat, they cannot actively ensure their ideal temperature for an ideal metabolic rate (aquacult.htp).
Dolphins make up the largest and most diverse family of cetaceans. The family contains 26 recognized species of which 13 tend to have long well defined beaks and streamlined robust bodies. Many vary in size, shape, colors, beaks and flippers, as humans have various characteristics.
Numerous scientists have been researching on the Arctic Fox, to learn about the creature’s habits and unusual and unique adapt...
Puffins live at sea while not mating or raising young. They glide across the water, swim on the surface of the ocean, and dive to depths of nearly 200 feet to get their food. Puffins commonly spend their entire winter at sea. Young puffins will spend two to three years out at sea before returning to land to mate.
help this bird have been to get donations for the bird and have schools help out
Like I said moments ago, the penguin is known to be witty, meticulous, inscrutable and they of course live on ice! First of all, I can be witty if I want to, and I spend half of my time on the ice. By that, I mean at the arena playing or practicing ringette. Ringette is a part of me and it always will be. I love the sound of my skate edge cutting into the ice. In addition to that, I love the way snow sprays off my skate when I make a quick stop as well. These are just some of the way that I can relate to a penguin. In conclusion to this paragraph, I am most like a penguin because I often enjoy the cold
Ask the students, “How do you think the duckling feels at the end of the story?”
Lessons about teamwork can be learned from geese. As each goose flaps its wings it creates"uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. When a goose falls out of formation, it immediately feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position. While flying in formation, geese honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. When a goose gets sick or wounded, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. They launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock (Lessons on Teamwork from Geese, 1999).
Thanks to evolution, Penguins have evolved into a group of aquatic, fightless birds, that are highly adapted to life in the ocean. This not only makes them one of the divergent and strange species of birds, but also has allowed them to become such a sucessful species. Penguins are mostly located in the Southern hemisphere ranging anywhere from the Galapogos to the Antartic. Throughout their lives, Penguins spend around half their time in the ocean doing things such as catching food and the other half on land raising their young. Their distinct tuxedo-like apperience called countershading camoflages their bodies, protecting them from predators above and below. Through out the “stepping stones”, the penguins grew to have a dense bone containing
Sea lions may look like sea creatures, but they also behave like terrestrial animals. Unlike whales, mammals that spend their entire lives in water, sea lions inhabit both the water and land throughout their lives. This aquatic land animal prefers the water for food, fun, and safety; while preferring the land for socializing, territory, and procreation. Being mammals, they share many behaviors common to humans and other mammals. Like mammals, they are born with the ability to walk on land shortly after birth. Surprisingly, they are not born with the ability to swim from birth, but need to be taught by their mothers. Like other mammals, they love to stay in social groups. During their reproductive season, females are dominated by aggressive males, that establish harems on the beaches. The relationship between females and their pups is characterized by affection, protection, nourishment, and instruction. In contrast to their limited terrestrial mobility, they can swim much better than they can walk. Unlike other land mammals, they have the ability to sleep in water . The most interesting thing is that they can sleep in water by using one part of their brain, while the other part of their brain is asleep ("Birds sleep with one eye open, half awake, study finds"). Clearly, sea lions have adapted well to a both an aquatic and land life.
On our Earth, we are graced with many fantastic life forms. From those gliding through the heavenly skies, to those at the deepest depths of the oceans, there is a plethora of various species. A group of these, though, is like a diamond in the rough. While many people admire its beauty, they have yet to realize that it’s the love for them that is dwindling its population. Who are these magnificent creatures…none other then the penguins.
“And all the children who came to the zoo could see Tango and her two fathers playing in the penguin house…” (Richardson). This scene comes from the children’s book, And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. This excerpt briefly tells that the theme of this story is about an unorthodox family structure that consists of a homosexual couple. Richard and Parnell use this picture book aimed for four to eight year olds to simply describe the real love story of two penguins, Silo and Roy, who can be found in New York’s Central Park Zoo. “Roy and Silo are both boys. However, they did everything together,” like a couple would do and they, “didn’t spend much time with the girl penguins.” When mating season came, they built a nest and tried to hatch an egg, but obviously, that was impossible. The zookeeper noticed this and brought Silo and Roy an egg from another couple that would not be able to take care of both the eggs they had. Eventually, Silo and Roy hatch a beautiful chick which the zookeeper named Tango; this created their little happy family.