Galapagos+Penguins+2-S

= Galapagos Penguins =

Characteristics
== The Galapagos Penguin is the third smallest penguin. It is 48-50cm (19-20in) in height and 25g (5.5 lbs) in weight. They have a thin white band that runs from the throat, up arournd the head to meet the corner of the eye.The upper bill and tip of the lower bill are black,with the rest of the lowerbill and surrounding skin to the eye pinkish yellow. Their belly is white with small black spots .Galapagos penguins swimming ==

Habitat
== Galapagos Penguins are the the smallest in the world, they live 600 miles off the coast of the equator right in the Galapagos Islands. They live near the equator in cold waters. They live cold and snowy place. Galapagos Penguins sometimes stay near rivers that have a lot of nutrients they have to have. This penguin lives farther north than any other penguin.They swim in the cromwell current during the day since it is cooler and return to the land at night. ==

Food/Prey
==The Galapagos Penguins enjoy different foods that they find in the water around them. Some of the things they find are small fish, krill, mullets, and sardines. If they can't find them they eat crusteans. They only search for food during the daytime. They hunt in small to large groups. Galapagos Penguins are smaller in size so it has many predators. On land it has towatch out for: crabs, snakes, owls, and hawks. Underwater it has to watch out for:sharks,fur seals,and sea lions.The other predators are rice rats,feral dogs,and cats.==

Babies [[image:http://ibc.lynxeds.com/files/pictures/Galapagos_Penguin.jpg width="191" height="82"]]
== Galapagos Penguins use burrows/nests and lay 1 to 2 eggs. The nests are within 50 meters (164 feet) of water on the shore. They breed when there is plenty of food. Both parents tend the eggs for 38 to 40 days. Chicks are cared for by both male and female for 30 days after hatching. Penguin parents take care of their babys even in extreme cold and harshness. Baby penguins are hatched covered in grayish down that protects the chicks from the cold weather. Once the baby penguins loses its downy feathers and gets its plumage,it can start to fight for their self. ==

Other Interesting Facts
== The strong sun is the main problem for the penguins. They swim in the cool water to cool off. Living close to the equator it gets over 100 degrees Fahrenheit(38 degrees Celcius) during the day time. They hold their flippers out to help the heat escape their bodies. They protect their feet from getting sunburned by holding their flippers over their feet on land. Unlike most other penguins, the Galapagos penguins don't have a certain time for breeding. They can have as many as three clutches in a year. ==

Future for these animals
== W eather from El Nino caused a shortage of food about 20 years ago.At that time over 70% of the Galapagos Penguins died. It is the rarest penguin species, its conservation status is endangered. It is reported that there are about 800-1000 breeding pairs left. They are endangered now and in the future or in the danger of extinction. == media type="file" key="simran-penguins.MOV"media type="file" key="Tapasya-penguin.MOV" align="right"