企鵝,請(qǐng)不要離開
------人類最萌的好朋友
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導(dǎo)讀:
企鵝是人 類最感興趣的動(dòng)物之一。電影《帝企鵝日記》讓我們記住了那些毛茸茸的,“萌”態(tài)百出的小家伙。然而,依賴冰層生活的企鵝是受氣候變化影響最大的物種之一, 氣溫上升隨之而來即是結(jié)冰季節(jié)的縮短,它們的棲息地已經(jīng)在慢慢消融。雖然海冰融化可為企鵝提供覓食場所,短期內(nèi)給企鵝帶來“福利”,但消融的冰層最終還是 會(huì)將企鵝推入絕境。
原本也是企鵝主要棲息地的南極半島上,阿德利企鵝數(shù)量在過去 30年間急劇減少了近九成。它們?cè)谀堑淖畲笞迦阂呀?jīng)滅絕。在這個(gè)全球平均氣溫上升最快地域之一的南極洲西部半島,氣溫在過去半個(gè)世紀(jì)里上升了6℃,更多的 降雪掩埋了阿德利企鵝每年春天回來筑巢的巖層。全球變暖也顛覆了南極半島食物鏈的構(gòu)成,生活在浮冰下的浮游生物大量死亡,而以浮游生物為主食的磷蝦同樣也 未能幸免,數(shù)量銳減八成,而磷蝦正是企鵝的重要食物。
讓我們一起來關(guān)注人類最萌的好朋友---企鵝。
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.
企鵝是一種不會(huì)飛的水生鳥類,企鵝幾乎只棲居在南半球,特別是南極洲。為適應(yīng)水生生活,企鵝長出了對(duì)比鮮明的黑白色羽毛,而他們翅膀也長出了蹼。大多數(shù)企鵝以在深水中游行時(shí)捕獲的磷蝦,小魚,烏賊和其他海中生物為食。他們生命中大約有一半的時(shí)間生活在陸地上,一半時(shí)間生活在海洋中。
Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator.
盡管所有企鵝物種都源自于南半球,他們不只生存于寒冷氣候區(qū),如南極洲。事實(shí)上,只有很幾種企鵝生活在如此遙遠(yuǎn)的南極。還有很多種企鵝生活在溫帶,而一種名叫加島企鵝的企鵝則生活在赤道附近。
The largest living species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): average adults are about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (75 lb) or more. The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the Fairy Penguin, which stands around 40 cm tall (16 in) and weighs 1 kg (2.2 lb). Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates (see also Bergmann's Rule). Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions; on the contrary, subantarctic regions harboured high diversity, and at least one giant penguin occurred in a region not quite 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, in a climate decidedly warmer than today.
最大的企鵝種類是皇企鵝:成年企鵝高約為1.1米,重約35千克多。最小的企鵝種類是小藍(lán)企鵝,又名神仙企鵝,高約為40厘米,重達(dá)1千克。在現(xiàn)存的企鵝當(dāng)中,大多數(shù)棲居在較寒冷的地帶, 而只有少數(shù)企鵝生活在溫帶甚至熱帶地區(qū)。然而有些史前企鵝物種身型巨大,可以達(dá)到與人類一樣的身高和體重。他們生活的地帶并不僅僅限于南極地區(qū),反而亞南極地帶孕育了很多種企鵝,至少有一種巨型企鵝曾出現(xiàn)在赤道以南2000千米的地帶,而那里的氣候顯然也是比今天更溫暖。
Breeding 繁育
Penguins for the most part breed in large colonies, the exceptions being the Yellow-eyed and Fiordland species; these colonies may range in size from as few as a 100 pairs for Gentoo Penguins, to several hundred thousand in the case of King, Macaroni and Chinstrap Penguins. Living in colonies results in a high level of social interaction between birds。Agonistic displays are those intended to confront or drive off, or alternately appease and avoid conflict with, other individuals.
除黃眼企鵝和峽灣企鵝外,大部分企鵝過著群居生活,群居數(shù)量從巴布亞企鵝的100對(duì)左右到
帝企鵝,馬克羅尼企鵝和帽帶企鵝的成百上千對(duì)。這種群居生活導(dǎo)致了企鵝之間高度的社會(huì)互動(dòng)性。敵對(duì)示威意在迎接,驅(qū)趕或平息及避免與其他生物的沖突。
Penguins form monogamous pairs for a breeding season, though the rate the same pair recouples varies drastically. Most penguins lay two eggs in a clutch, although the two largest species, the Emperor and the King Penguins, lay only one. With the exception of the Emperor Penguin, where the male does it all, all penguins share the incubation duties. These incubation shifts can last days and even weeks as one member of the pair feeds at sea.
企鵝繁育實(shí)行一夫一妻制,但同一對(duì)企鵝再次配對(duì)的比率變化很大。盡管皇企鵝和帝企鵝這兩類最大的企鵝每窩產(chǎn)蛋一枚,但大多數(shù)企鵝每窩產(chǎn)蛋兩枚。除了皇企鵝是由雌性企鵝獨(dú)自負(fù)責(zé)孵化外,所有的企鵝都是雌雄共同分擔(dān)孵化任務(wù)。孵化任務(wù)數(shù)天甚至數(shù)周輪換一次,孵化期間另一只企鵝在海邊進(jìn)食。
Penguins generally only lay one brood; the exception is the Little Penguin, which can raise two or three broods in a season.
企鵝一般只抱一窩,而小企鵝會(huì)抱窩2次或者3次每季。
Penguin eggs are smaller than any other bird species when compared proportionally to the weight of the parent birds; at 52 g (2 oz), the Little Penguin egg is 4.7% of its mothers' weight, and the 450 g (1 lb) Emperor Penguin egg is 2.3%. The relatively thick shell forms between 10 and 16 % of the weight of a penguin egg, presumably to minimise risk of breakage in an adverse nesting environment. The yolk, too, is large, and comprises 22–31 % of the egg. Some yolk often remains when a chick is born, and is thought to help sustain it if parents are delayed in returning with food.
如果按母鳥體重比例進(jìn)行比較,企鵝蛋比其他任何鳥類的蛋都要小,小企鵝的蛋重約52克,為母鳥體重的4.7%,而皇企鵝的蛋重約450克,為母鳥體重的2.3%。較厚的蛋殼重量約為鳥蛋本身重量的10%-16%,大概是為了減少鳥蛋在不利環(huán)境下破損的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。蛋黃要大一些,構(gòu)成了蛋體重量的22%-31%。一些蛋黃在雛鳥出殼時(shí)仍保留著,被認(rèn)為是在雌雄鳥外出覓食晚歸時(shí)維持雛鳥的生存。
When mothers lose a chick, they sometimes attempt to "steal" another mother's chick, usually unsuccessfully as other females in the vicinity assist the defending mother in keeping her chick.
當(dāng)母鳥丟失雛鳥時(shí),她們有時(shí)會(huì)試圖偷盜別人的雛鳥,但通常是不會(huì)成功的,因?yàn)楦浇渌拇气B會(huì)幫助母鳥保護(hù)她的雛鳥。
Penguins and Humans 企鵝與人類
Penguins seem to have no special fear of humans, and have approached groups of explorers without hesitation. This is probably because penguins have no land predators in Antarctica or the nearby offshore islands. Instead, penguins are at risk at sea from predators such as the leopard seal. Typically, penguins do not approach closer than about 3 meters (10 ft) at which point they become nervous. This is also the distance that Antarctic tourists are told to keep from penguins (tourists are not supposed to approach closer than 3 meters, but are not expected to withdraw if the penguins come closer).
企鵝似乎對(duì)人類沒有特別的恐懼,他們會(huì)毫不猶豫地接近探險(xiǎn)考察組。這很可能是因?yàn)槠簌Z在南極洲和附近海島上沒有陸生捕食者。然而,企鵝在海中卻有被捕食的危險(xiǎn)---海豹。需要特別指出的是,企鵝從不會(huì)走進(jìn)距離在3米以內(nèi)的區(qū)域,因?yàn)樾∮谶@個(gè)距離會(huì)讓它們感到緊張。這個(gè)距離也是南極洲導(dǎo)游告知游客需要和企鵝保持的距離(游客不能走進(jìn)距離企鵝3米以內(nèi)的區(qū)域,但當(dāng)企鵝走近時(shí)也不要退后。)
Penguins are popular around the world, primarily for their unusually upright, waddling gait and (compared to other birds) lack of fear of humans. Their striking black-and-white plumage is often likened to a tuxedo suit. Mistakenly, some artists and writers have penguins based at the North Pole. This is incorrect, as there are almost no wild penguins in the northern hemisphere, except the small group on the northernmost of the Galápagos. The cartoon series Chilly Willy helped perpetuate this myth, as the title penguin would interact with northern-hemisphere species such as polar bears and walruses.
企鵝是世界上最受歡迎的動(dòng)物之一,主要是因?yàn)樗鼈兡钱惡鯇こ5墓P直又搖擺的步態(tài)以及對(duì)人類的親近。它們那引人注目的黑白色羽毛經(jīng)常被比作是燕尾服。有些藝術(shù)家和作家誤以為企鵝生長在北極。這是不正確的,除了加拉帕戈斯群島最北邊有一小部分企鵝棲居外,北半球幾乎沒有野生企鵝生存。動(dòng)畫片《Chilly Willy》使這個(gè)謎成為永遠(yuǎn),因?yàn)轭}目企鵝可能會(huì)和北半球的北極熊和海象相混。
Penguins have been the subject of many books and films such as Happy Feet, Surf's Up and The Penguins of Madagascar. Penguins have also found their way into a number of cartoons and television dramas;
企鵝已經(jīng)成為許多書籍和電影的主角,如Happy Feet, Surf's Up and The Penguins of Madagascar。 企鵝也在眾多的卡通劇和電視劇中找到了出路。
Several pro, minor, college and high school sport teams have named themselves after the species, with the Pittsburgh Penguins team in the National Hockey League。
許多大學(xué),高中學(xué)生運(yùn)動(dòng)隊(duì)將自己團(tuán)隊(duì)命名為企鵝隊(duì),如美國國家冰球聯(lián)盟的匹茲堡企鵝隊(duì)。
Key Words關(guān)鍵詞:
penguin:企鵝;aquatic:水生的; southern hemisphere:南半球; Antarctica:南極洲; flippers:腳蹼; Krill:磷蝦;squid:烏賊;sealife:海洋生物;temperate :溫和的,適度的;prehistoric:史前的; equator:赤道; incubation:孵化; leopard seal:海豹; tuxedo:燕尾服
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