Comments on: Homey and Pierre Temporarily off Exhibit

By: Penguins

Penguins — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:18:46 +0000

Hi Jocelyn, penguins do not eat apples and carrots. These were examples of objects we occasionally place in the exhibit for the birds to “play” with as enrichment. Penguins feed primarily on small fish, krill and squid and will not really eat anything else (nor should they). African penguins, like most temperate and tropical species, feed mostly on fish while species in the Antarctic tend to feed almost exclusively on krill.

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:30:40 +0000

Do Penguins eat carrots and apples and other foods? Are they able to eat other food?

By: Penguins

Penguins — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:39:10 +0000

Hi Jocelyn, it depends on the species of penguin and is correlated in a straightforward manner in relation to body mass. For example, the smallest penguin species Eudyptula minor the Little Blue penguin has an observed overall brain volume of about 7 mL (milliliters). The largest penguin species Aptenodytes forsteri the Emperor penguin has an observed brain volume of around 46 mL. Other species fall in between this range relative to their particular body mass.

By: Penguins

Penguins — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:38:39 +0000

Hi Jocelyn, I’ll do a whole blog posting on this question in a couple of weeks. I think it certainly warrants it and is a bit too much to handle in the comment section. Stay tuned…there’s one new article I want to tackle this week and then I’ll address this. Thanks again for bringing it up!

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:00:56 +0000

How big is a penguin’s brain?

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:59:57 +0000

I mean how intelligent are penguins? Are they as intelligent as dolphins?

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:39:06 +0000

Thank you so much for the answers to my questions. Once again I have to thank all the humans and penguins for making themselves available to those of us who can’t visit the California Academy of Sciences in person. You brighten up each and every day with entertainment and enlightenment!!!

By: Penguins

Penguins — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:26:59 +0000

Hi Jocelyn, I’ve been keeping your very interesting question in the back of my mind and have decided I’d like to do something a little unconventional for this blog and respond to you with another question. What, exactly, do you mean by “smart”?

By: Penguins

Penguins — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:16:44 +0000

Hi Karen, thanks for writing! Dunker had some health problems as a chick and, as a result, was hand-raised from an earlier age and for a longer duration than the rest of the birds. As a result he is inclined to have a closer relationship to the people who care for him than the other birds do. The particular day you’re referring to was Pam’s first time in the exhibit for a couple of weeks so Dunker was probably just extra excited to see her. Dunker is maturing into a very capable penguin and has recently settled down in a nest-box with his mate Kianga. He’s defending his territory (even from us!) and the young couple had their first clutch of eggs a couple of weeks ago. Dunker’s reaction to Pam on that day did not yield any noticeable adverse effects on his relationship with Kianga; the two youngsters are doing a great job of taking incubation shifts on their nest, braying to keep other birds away, and solidifying their pair bond with each other.

In regards to the second part of your question the Academy’s colony is not exposed to the outside at all so we don’t have to worry about diseases like Avian malaria or West Nile virus, which are primarily transmitted via mosquito bites. The air in their exhibit is maintained by a handling system that maintains positive pressure and extensively filters the air to keep it clean and prevent potentially harmful fungal spores from proliferating. Finally, all staff and visitors who enter the exhibit step through a bleach foot bath to help prevent bringing anything harmful into contact with the birds.

Hope this answered your questions and we’re so glad that you’re enjoying the birds as much as we do!

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:41:23 +0000

Hi! Today while I was watching after the 3pm feeding with Pam it seemed like one of the penguins didn’t want to leave her side. Based on what I heard during the feeding I am guessing it was Dunker. Does the attention he pays to Pam cause any problems with his mate, ie, does she get jealous? Also, had it been a long time since he had seen Pam or does he react that way every time he sees her because she raised him? Finally, and on another topic altogether, do you have to be careful coming into the penguin environment relative to pathogens? How isolated are the penguins? Do the biologists, helpers and docents have to undergo any kind of sterilization process prior to entering the area? I have to say, I have become addicted to watching your exhibit every day at feeding time. The penguins, humans, discussions and questions are all totally AWESOME!!! Thank you so much for all of you.