Posted on 01/20/2025 11:00:52 AM PST by Red Badger
“I don’t believe anyone has seen this all black penguin before,” added Adams. “The season has only just started on South Georgia, we were only the third boat to land there. I hope other people get to see it too.”
“I was super excited to see a pure melanistic penguin as there are spotted or partly melanistic birds. From a distance the black is super black, but when you get closer some of the markings on its neck and belly are like a metallic green. It was completely accepted by the other birds and his size wasn’t different in any way.”
The melanistic penguin has done well to make it to adulthood when you consider that a white belly is an adaptation that helps king penguins blend into the environment. Without its camouflage, this all-black penguin is likely more visible to predators, but that hasn’t stopped it so far.
Melanism is the name given to a mutation that results in more melanin than is typical for an animal. Melanin is the pigment that makes skin, fur, and feathers black, so an animal with partial melanism may have patches of black, or you may get an entirely melanistic individual that’s black from head to toe. It is basically the opposite of albinism and leucism, in which an individual lacks pigment and therefore appears paler. In fact, that’s what gave us the meringue-colored penguin (a meringuin, if you please).
Black penguins matter.
That one will be more visible in the ocean to an orca looking up through the water to the sky above.
It’s not all black. There’s yellow under its beak, but close enough to tick the boxes for an affirmative action hire.
I wonder if other Penguins look at him differently also.
I hope they treat him fairly, on the content of his character.
That was my thought, although I was thinking about the Leopard Seal from Happy Feet:
https://happyfeet.fandom.com/wiki/Leopard_Seal_(character)
I wonder if he gets pulled over more often than the other penguins?
He is not wearing a tux, he is in violation of the dress code...
Sammy Davis jr?
He’s in uniform. He’s the mascot of the New Zealand national rugby team.
First penguin to join New Zealand’s All-Blacks rugby team. Quite a feat considering he waddles instead of runs and doesn’t have any fingers to hold onto the ball.
$_&$#! Beat me by 30 seconds.
At first, I was thinking a penguin in South Georgia USA? That darn globull warming again. Yep, I realize we are talking about the Country on the Black Sea.
Goth Penguin!
How soon will we see another one? “Nevermore”. (I couldn’t resist)😎
Dark MAGA Penguin
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