#sea animals

[pamhr]

ay amé esto

[whats4breakfast]

please welcome my new family member illi (yes, she is named after illi mcmillin)

[chaosgremlin404]

Communication cards

I’m making sea-themed communication cards that can be printed, I’m going to post the printable pdf when I’m done

Does anyone have recommendations or requests for phrases/says to put on the cards

[malignantwrasse]

Emperor Angelfish, 12" x 12", acrylic on wood, 2026

[malignantwrasse]

Cuttlefish, 12" x 18", acrylic on canvas, 2020

[malignantwrasse]

Southern Stingrays

[orcinusorcaterror]

Penguins are a group of flightless semi-aquatic sea birds that live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere.There are 18 recognized species of penguins alive today, such as the Emperor, King, and Adélie penguins. The only species of penguin that doesn't live in the Southern Hemisphere,is the Galapagos penguin, which lives at the slightly north of the equator. Their colours are for camouflage and their flippers are for swimming. Most penguins feast upon krill, fish, squid and other forms of sea life which they catch with their bills and swallow whole during swimming. Penguins have spiny tongues and strong jaws to grip their slippery prey.

The largest living species of penguin is the emperor penguin,which is also known as Aptenodytes Forsteri. (About 1.1m and 35kg.),and the smallest known penguin is the little blue penguin,which is also known as Eudyptula minor, standing at 30-33cm and 1.2-1.3kg.

Larger penguins are known to generally live in colder regions, meanwhile smaller penguins live in regions with temperate or tropical climates.

Penguins reproduce sexually by choosing a mate, performing a cloacal (penguins do not have external sex organs, however both males and females have an internal opening called a cloaca) kiss on land, and laying eggs that both parents incubate and raise. Most species are monogamous during the breeding season and return to large coastal colonies. The female lies on the ground, the male mounts her, and they press their cloacae together in a brief touch known as a "cloacal kiss" to transfer sperm. Penguins find their mates using loud calls, head bowing, and special dances. Many pairs stay together for multiple years.

Most species lay one or two eggs per breeding cycle, however some species build pebble or burrow nests. Emperor and King penguins use no nests and instead balance a single egg on their feet under a warm fold of skin called a brood pouch,kindof like how kangaroos hold their babies in a pouch.

Most species lay one or two eggs per breeding cycle,and parents share the duty of keeping the egg warm for roughly 34 to 64 days, depending on the species. They feed hatched chicks regurgitated food until the young develop waterproof feathers. When they're finally fully feathered, young penguins head into the ocean to hunt and swim on their own, reaching sexual maturity between 3 and 8 years of age.

Most penguins live 15 to 20 years in the wild, though their exact lifespan depends very much on their species and environmental conditions.

One known fact about penguins,is that some male penguins, especially within the Gentoo penguins, "propose" during mating season by searching the beach for a smooth pebble, waddling over to a female, and laying the stone at her feet as a practical and symbolic gift. If the female picks it up and adds it to her spot, she accepts him. If she walks away or ignores it, the gift is rejected.

Homosexual behavior is also seen in penguins, and we've seen long-term pair bonding, courtship displays, and joint nest incubation across multiple species both in captivity and in the wild. Famous examples include Roy and Silo at the Central Park Zoo and wild Adélie penguins which were observed over a century ago.