Gentoo penguin

The gentoo penguin (/ˈdʒɛntuː/ JEN-too) (Pygoscelis papua) is a penguin species (or possibly a species complex) in the genus Pygoscelis, most closely related to the Adélie penguin (P. adeliae) and the chinstrap penguin (P. antarcticus). The earliest scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster with a type locality in the Falkland Islands. The species calls in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud trumpeting, which the bird emits with its head thrown back.[2]

The application of "gentoo" to the penguin is unclear. Gentoo was an Anglo-Indian term to distinguish Hindus from Muslims.[3] The English term may have originated from the Portuguese gentio ("pagan, gentile"). Some speculate that the white patch on the bird's head was thought to resemble a turban.[4]

It may also be a variation of another name for this bird, "Johnny penguin", with Johnny being Juanito in Spanish and sounds vaguely like gentoo.[5][6][7] The Johnny rook, a predator, is likely named after the Johnny penguin.[8]

The specific name papua is a misnomer; in the original description, Johann Reinhold Forster, a naturalist who had circumnavigated the world with Captain James Cook, mistakenly assumed that the species occurred in Papua (New Guinea), the closest gentoos being over 6000 km to the south (on Macquarie Island).[4] No penguins are found in New Guinea.[9] Others trace the error to a "possibly fraudulent claim" in 1776 by French naturalist Pierre Sonnerat, who also alleged a Papuan location for the king penguin despite never having been to the island himself.[10]

1. Lunga e diritta
2. Correva la strada
3. L'auto veloce correva
4. La dolce estate
5. Era gia cominciata
6. Vicino lui sorrideva
7. Forte la mano
8. Teneva il volante
9. Forte il motore cantava
10. Non lo sapevi che c'era la morte
11. Quel giorno che ti aspettava
12. Non lo sapevi
13. Che c'era la morte
14. Quando si e' giovani e' strano

The gentoo penguin is one of three species in the genus Pygoscelis. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA evidence suggests the genus split from other penguins around 38 million years ago (Mya), about 2 million years after the ancestors of the genus Aptenodytes. In turn, the Adélie penguins split off from the other members of the genus around 19 Mya and the chinstrap and gentoo finally diverged around 14 Mya.[11]

There are 4 subspecies recognized by the International Ornithological Congress:[12]

P. p. taeniata (eastern gentoo penguin) (Peale, 1849) - Crozet Islands, Prince Edward Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Heard Island, and Macquarie Island
P. p. papua (northern gentoo penguin) (Forster, 1781) - Falkland Islands, Martillo Island in the Beagle Channel, and Isla de los Estados (Argentina)
P. p. ellsworthi (southern gentoo penguin) Murphy, 1947 - the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands and South Sandwich Islands
P. p. poncetii (South Georgia gentoo penguin) Tyler, Bonfitto, Clucas, Reddy & Younger, 2020 - South Georgia Island
Although the population on the Kerguelen Islands is tentatively included in taeniata, it may also be a distinct subspecies.[13]

Before 2021, only two subspecies of the gentoo penguin have been recognised: P. p. papua (subantarctic gentoo) and the smaller P. p. ellsworthi (Antarctic gentoo).[14][15] However, a 2020 study suggested that the gentoo penguin be split into a species complex of four morphologically similar but separate species: the northern gentoo penguin (P. papua sensu stricto), the southern gentoo penguin (P. ellsworthi), the eastern gentoo penguin (P. taeniata) and the newly described South Georgia gentoo penguin (P. poncetii).[16][17] The International Ornithological Congress incorporated the results of this study in 20

The gentoo penguin is easily recognised by the wide, white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head and its bright orange-red bill. It has pale whitish-pink, webbed feet and a fairly long tail – the most prominent tail of all penguin species. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. As the gentoo penguin waddles along on land, its tail sticks out behind, sweeping from side to side, hence the scientific name Pygoscelis, which means "rump-tailed".[18]

A close-up of head on the West Falkland
Gentoo penguins can reach a length of 70 to 90 cm (28 to 35 in),[19][20] making them the third-largest species of penguin after the emperor penguin and the king penguin. Males have a maximum weight around 8.5 kg (19 lb) just before moulting and a minimum weight of about 4.9 kg (11 lb) just before mating. For females, the maximum weight is 8.2 kg (18 lb) just before moulting, but their weight drops to as little as 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) when guarding the chicks in the nest.[21] Birds from the north are on average 700 g (1.5 lb) heavier and 10 cm (3.9 in) longer than the southern birds. Southern gentoo penguins reach 75–80 cm (30–31 in) in length.[22] They are the fastest underwater swimmers of all penguins, reaching speeds up to 36 km/h (22 mph).[23] Gentoos are well adapted to extremely cold and harsh climates.

The breeding colonies of gentoo penguins are located on ice-free surfaces. Settlements can be located directly on the shoreline or considerably inland. They prefer shallow coastal areas and often nest between tufts of grass. In South Georgia, for example, breeding colonies are 2 km inland. In colonies farther inland, where the penguins nest in grassy areas, they shift location slightly yearly because the grass becomes trampled over time.

The large-eared pika is native to mountainous regions of Central Asia. Its range includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan in China. Its minimum altitude is about 2,300 metres (7,500 ft)[1] and it has been recorded at altitudes of 6,130 metres (20,113 feet) in the Himalayas. The large-eared pika does not make a burrow but lives in crevices among the shattered rock and scree found in mountainous regions.[3]

The large-eared pika is native to mountainous regions of Central Asia. Its range includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan in China. Its minimum altitude is about 2,300 metres (7,500 ft)[1] and it has been recorded at altitudes of 6,130 metres (20,113 feet) in the Himalayas. The large-eared pika does not make a burrow but lives in crevices among the shattered rock and scree found in mountainous regions.[3] Breeding

The large-eared pika is native to mountainous regions of Central Asia. Its range includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan in China. Its minimum altitude is about 2,300 metres (7,500 ft)[1] and it has been recorded at altitudes of 6,130 metres (20,113 feet) in the Himalayas. The large-eared pika does not make a burrow but lives in crevices among the shattered rock and scree found in mountainous regions.[3]

The large-eared pika is territorial, an adult pair occupying an exclusive area. In different parts of their range they are found at densities varying between 6 and 18 individuals per hectare. They are prey species for various carnivorous mammals and birds of prey.[2]

The large-eared pika is an herbivore and is diurnal. It feeds on grasses and other vegetation, twigs, lichens and mosses. Some populations make "haypiles" of dried grasses in their burrows to help see them through the winter when fresh greenery is scarce. There are usually two litters a year, each with two to three young. The gestation period is approximately 30 days. The juveniles are mature by the next breeding season and the life expectancy of this species is about three years.[1]