Adelie Penguin

Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)



Adelie penguins got their unique name after the wife of a French explorer in the 1830's. These penguins are very strong swimmers, they have been seen jumping directly from the water onto the shore. They mainly travel on land by sliding on their stomachs. They do not drink water, but they eat the snow. Adelie penguins have a special gland in their nose that takes the salt out of the ocean water. This comes in handy when they are catching and eating fish.

Adelie penguins are one of the few penguins that nest on the mainland of Antarctica. They nest along the shores that are free of ice in the summer. The penguins breed in the summer in colonies of 200,000 or more. Each female lays two eggs approximately two days apart. Typically only one of the chicks survive.

Adelie penguins are blue-black with a white underside. They have a distinctive white ring around their eyes. They range in height from 18 to 24 inches tall. They weigh approximately 8-12 lbs when fully grown. The penguins are fairly aggressive, many adults have been seen stealing rocks from neighbor's nests.

The information provided above can be found in Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide To The World's Wildlife and at Penguins Around the World: http://www.siec.k12.in.us/west/proj/penguins/adelie.html If you have any questions about the Adelie Penguin please post them in the comment section and I will do my best to answer them in a timely manner.