A.+forsteri

=__Aptenodytes forsteri__ (Emperor Penguins)  = =**Kingdom: Animalia ** Phylum: Chordata = = Class: Aves = = Order: Sphenisciformes = = Family: Spheniscidae = = Genus: Aptenodytes = = Species: Aptenodytes forsteri   = = =

The Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching 122 cm (48 in) in height and weighing anywhere from 22–37 kg (48–82 lb). The dorsal parts are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine lifestyle.  == []
 * Emperor penguins have been in the Endangered Species List since 2008, but is at the least concern level. This was assessed by Bird Life International. The emperor penguin was listed as endangered because of the risk of global warming and human disturbance. Global warming, as well has human beings, are killing the penguins food supply.** 
 * [[image:http://digimorph.org/specimens/Aptenodytes_forsteri/adult/cutawayview.jpg width="733" height="253"]] ||
 * Cutaway view of the skull of //Aptenodytes forsteri//. ||

Fish form the bulk of its diet, which can include ccrustaceans, such as krill, and cephalapods, such as squid. In hunting, the species can remain submerged up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 535 m (1,755 ft). It has several adaptations to prodcue this, including an unusually structured blood cells to allow it to function at low oxygen levels, solid bones to reduce barotrauma, and the ability to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions.

[] The Emperor Penguin is perhaps best known for the sequence of journeys adults make each year in order to mate and to feed their offspring. The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, it treks 50–120 km (31–75 mi) over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to forage; parents subsequently take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick in the colony.

The female lays a single egg in May after a 63-day gestation period, and then passes the egg over to her mate and goes to sea to feed. When the male takes over the incubation, he fasts for 9 weeks, all the while balancing the egg on his feet, where it is insulated by a thick roll of skin and feathers. During this period the males huddle together for added warmth and protection against the bitter winds and sub-zero temperatures. The lifespan is typically 20 years in the wild.

Emperors live in the coldest climate on earth. Temperatures can drop as low as -140 degrees Fahrenheit (-60 degrees Celsius) on the Antarctic ice. The males manage to survive by standing huddled in groups for up to 9 weeks. During this time the female returns to the open sea to feed. During the time the male incubates the egg, he may lose about half his body weight because he does not eat.

When the egg hatches, the female returns to care for the chick. Once the female returns, the male will go to the open sea to feed. The male will return in a few weeks and both male and female will tend to the chick by keeping it warm and feeding it food from their stomachs. After 7 weeks of care, the chicks form its own groups and huddle together for protection and warmth. They are still fed by the parents. The chicks know their parents by the sound of their call. The chicks are fully grown in 6 months, which is the beginning of the summer season in the Antarctic. At this time all the penguins return to the open sea. ( [] )  Since the penguin lives in a world of ice and snow, its belly is white so that if a predator is looking up from the depths, the penguin is virtually invisible. This is because the light from the sky is combined with the penguin's white belly. It's the same way with a predator looking down from the sky. The penguin's black back matches the dark ocean depths. The main predators of the emperor penguin are leopard seals. But other animals such as walrus, killer whales, and lion seals have also been known to prey on the penguins.

Atlantic Ocean:
Temp.: 0-25 degrees Celsius Salinity: 34.0-36.0 PSS  OCEAN CURRENTS  [] <span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">WIND CURRENTS <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">** Antarctica ** The ** continent of ** ** Antarctica ** is positioned in 90º 00' S ** latitude **and 0º 00' E ** longitude **respectively. It is located on the southern part of the Antarctic Circle. The total area is slightly smaller than 1°5 times to that of USA. It is the fifth largest continent with a total area of 14 million square kilometers. The coastline stretches for 17,968 kilometers. The climate of Antarctica has mostly severe temperatures which is a result of the latitudinal and longitudinal position of Antarctica. The climate of Antarctica also varies according to the elevation and distance from the ocean. The eastern part is colder than the western side because of its higher elevation. About 98% of the terrain is covered in thick continental ice sheet. The ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Antarctic Peninsula area, parts of Ross Island and Wilkes Land. Katabatic or gravity driven winds blow towards the coast from the high interior and cyclonic storms are common along the coast. <span style="font-size: 13pt; color: black; font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[]) <span style="font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">East Antarctica: The land of East Antarctica is low in elevation with large bays indenting the coastline. The weight of the thick ice sheet has pushed the land down so far that if it were removed, the land would rebound 2,000 feet. <span style="font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">West Antarctica:  West Antarctica is a more recent addition to the continent. It was built up over the last 500 million years by the addition of small continental fragments (called microplates), four of which have been identified. They include the Ellsworth Mountains block, the Antarctic Peninsula, an unnamed block of igneous rocks and metamorphosed sediments, and then Marie Byrd Land block. The collisions that added these microplates to Antarctica have built up the mountains of West Antarctica. Unlike East Antarctica, if the ice were removed in the west, the land would have considerable relief. The area would probably appear as a series of island chains and mountain ranges. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">__(__ []<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">__)

SCAVENGER QUESTIONS__ 1) How long is the female emperor penguin gestation period? 2) According to the food web, what are the penguin's main predators? 3) Why is the penguin's back black, and its stomach white?