Not all penguins live on ice.  It is called the spheniscus humboldti because of its genus and species. They aren’t that big and they look like they have a band around their stomach.  If you want to see them in person you can go to the rocky coasts of Chile in South America. Finally the banded has many characteristics and adaptions.

 

The Banded penguin also has many traits that make it different than any other penguin.  First of all they are around two feet tall and they weigh about 10 pounds.  Next they are all black with a white stomach.  They also migrate from Peru to North Chile and they reproduce year round. You'll know you found the banded penguin when you see a black and white penguin with a band around it. As you can see the banded penguin looks how it sounds.

 

If you can't find these it's probably because you're looking in the wrong area.  You will usually find them at the rocky coast of Chile.  On Earth there are about 5000 to 7000.  The current IUCN status is vulnerable.  Clearly this isn't your average Antarctic penguin.

 

The Spheniscus humboldti doesn't eat like you and me. It is basically in the middle of the food web because humans kill it and it eats small fish.  It will dive down 30 m and catch food. It also has a spined tongue to hold its prey.  It gets preyed on by humans and there really is no way to prevent getting caught because humans can easily outsmart a penguin.  Lastly there is a lot of characteristics a banded penguin has.

 

The banded penguin is important because it keeps the fish population in balance.  What stands out from this penguin is its band around its stomach.  To wrap it all up this isn't your picture perfect "Mr. Popper's Penguins" penguin but it is still important

 

Matthew S.

February 19, 2014

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Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Penguin

http://www.birlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3862

http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACBBaseline.htm

"Chapter 14-Section 2: The Animal Kingdom." Holt Life Science. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. 430-37. Print.

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Picture sources:http://www.tier-fotos.eu/name/tier-bild/2730/kategorie/voegel~pinguine~brillenpinguine-spheniscus.html

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Spheniscus_humboldti/