Why do Arctic penguins need ice?
1 Answers
Penguins are an aquatic mammal which has adapted to live in the cold water of the polar regions, in order to keep warm and avoid being chilled, as well as to survive. But the Arctic can be an unforgiving environment, in which the ice is not as solid as in warmer waters.
It takes a long time for the ice to make up for the ice lost in the summer and this can lead to the penguin being caught in the ice and losing its life. The reason for the need for ice in the Antarctic is also related to the fact that the ice is so large that the animals can be pushed in with ice floes or ice breakers while they are in the middle of their hibernation.
The penguins are also a prey species, in the same way that tigers and whales are, and as such they need ice floes as a means of defense. This is exactly what we see in this video, where a whale breaks off into two groups and follows penguins from one continent to the other.
The video has over a million views on the internet and has been shared over 300 times. It is amazing that the video has been shared so many times at such a great length. The birds, known as Southern Residents, are in the Arctic.
The area is mostly ice- bound, and the birds have a difficult time surviving there, as they are at risk of being caught in the ice and drowned at the end of their lives. However, there have been some cases when they have managed to survive, such as this one, where a female Penguin was spotted on two ice floes after a trip to the Antarctic.
How can I learn more?
The videos have made many people think about the penguin, and the Arctic environment, and they have generated a lot of conversation about how human activity impacts wildlife.
The video was created by the group Polar Bears for Change, which aims to protect Antarctic Penguins. The group has started a petition on Change. org, which has been signed by over 2. 1 million people.
It is hoped that the film will inspire people to do their bit in protecting penguins. It has been reported that the video will be appearing on the front page of the BBC News website tomorrow, where it will also be featured next to the video entitled 'Whales and penguins are like cousins- the great white sharks have a great idea about how to save themselves' by a team at the Natural History Museum.
The video was also featured on the Channel4 News website, which is on the Channel 4 News app for iPad and Android.
Why do penguins and sharks look so similar?
The species of Penguin is named after the male penguin, Pygoscelis pallasii.
Females grow to about 35 inches (95cm) , while males grow to around 35 inches, but they are less common. Pygoscelis belongs to the genus Ambystoma, which includes the shark, a sea creature. The species of Shark is also found at this latitude.