1. Alicia Stith & Malik Westry

2.  Scientific Name: Spheniscus Mendiculus  Natural Habitat: Forages in the waters off the South American islands; Mainly found on Fernandina Island and on the west coast of Isabella Island, but small populations are also found scattered on other islands in the Galapagos

3.  Diet: Feed on small fish including mullet and sardines  Size: approximately 50 cm (19.6 inches) in height and they weigh approximately 2.2 kg (4.8 lbs)  Housing Requirements: these birds rest on sandy shores and rocky beaches and nest on areas of sheltered coast

4.  Climate Requirements: temperature at the islands stays between 15 and 28 degrees Celsius (59–82 °F); usually breed when the sea surface temperature is below 24 degrees Celsius  Predator/prey: crabs, snakes, birds of prey, cats, dogs, rats, sharks, seals and sea lions  Reproduction:  reach reproductive maturity (female) 3 to 4 years old; (male) 4 to 6 years old  4 to 6 eggs per season  breeding season lasts throughout the year; however, most breeding takes place between May and July  Solitary or pack animal?  Pack

5. Why/When Endangered  Why are they endangered?  The El Niño global weather pattern and ocean pollution  When El Niño happens, ocean water gets warmer, and the fish that Galápagos Penguins feed on will die; Nobody knows what causes El Niño  In the water: they are preyed on by sharks, fur seals, and sea lions  On land: major threats include overheating, starvation, or predation by introduced cats, dogs and rats on Isabella Island  Human disturbance is the main cause for ecosystem harm that affects the nesting grounds of Galapagos penguins  June 2, 1970 -listed as endangered  IUCN Red List of Threatened Species & United States Endangered Species Act

6.  Population left:  Endangered population estimated between 3,000-8,000 penguins  800 breeding pairs left in the world  Conservation efforts:  Recently the Galapagos Conservation Trust launched the Sylvia Harcourt-Carrasco Bird Life Fund for Galapagos that will aim much of its efforts at conserving the population of Galapagos penguins  The whole Galápagos Penguin population is found within the Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve. The population is annually monitored and introduced predators are controlled by the Galápagos National Park Service.

7. Galapagos Penguin Quiz  1. Where are Galapagos Penguins found?  2. What do Galapagos Penguins eat?  3. Is the Galapagos Penguin a solitary or pack animal?  4. What are some reasons why the Galapagos Penguin is endangered?  5. How much of the Galapagos population is left?

8. Works Cited  http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=246 http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=246  http://www.theanimalfiles.com/birds/penguins/galapagos_penguin. html http://www.theanimalfiles.com/birds/penguins/galapagos_penguin. html  http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Spheniscus_mend iculus/ http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Spheniscus_mend iculus/  http://www.konicaminolta.com/kids/endangered_animals/library/se a/galapagos-penguin.html http://www.konicaminolta.com/kids/endangered_animals/library/se a/galapagos-penguin.html  http://www.earthsendangered.com/%5C/profile-349.html http://www.earthsendangered.com/%5C/profile-349.html  http://eol.org/pages/1049620/details http://eol.org/pages/1049620/details