feb 11
young gentoo penguin tocks, sleeping, falklands
Part 2 of What I did NOT see while I was NOT in Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Mom. Dad described the penguins as dozing off while standing, then gradually slumping until they flopped onto their bellies. WHERE IS THE VIDEO? I want video.
This entry was written by Catherine , posted on Wednesday February 11 2009at 10:02 am , filed under Birds, Trips |
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That is hilarious. I have had cats, typically overweight cats, who every once in a while would sit weirdly: with their rear legs straight out and their tail straight out between their legs, and their fore legs just hanging down at their sides. They looked totally weird and un-cat-like. But what would happen is that every time they would get sort of “dreamy”, very quiet and look like they were hypnotized or in a trance and start to teeter back and forth. And then they would fall over, often slowly, asleep. My theory has been that the unnatural position was somehow limiting oxygen to their brain, but it’s only an idea. In the end, these cats would end up look like this penguin.
Mark
It looks like a rug.
Or a rock. (with feet)
Or a kid’s plush toy!
But is reminiscent of the “dead bird” posture that Black Skimmers do, totally flat on the sand.
OK, cuteness aside, WHAT is really happening here? It seems odd, if not really dangerous, for any creature in the wild to just keel over unconscious, letting them open to skua/Giant Petrel attacks. Does anyone know why this happens? Are penguins narcoleptic? Do they work too hard? Are there no predators here?
Mark