The only king penguin is black

On a new expedition, Belgian wildlife photographer and expedition leader Yves Adams traveled to Saint Andrews Bay on the Atlantic island of South Georgia, Earth Touch News reported on December 20. Among the flock of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) 500,000 with black and white fur like a tuxedo, Adams encountered a striking member with extremely rare all-black fur.

“I tried to follow the animal as it came up from the sea. We only had a short time before it merged into the sea of ​​black and white outfits,” the photographer recounted.

Instead of the typical black-and-white plumage with yellow patches on the ears, the bird’s feathers that Adams noticed were jet black due to the overproduction of melanin – the substance that gives color to the animal’s skin, hair, and eyes and protects the skin. protect them from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. This overproduction is called melanism, a rare genetic trait that causes skin or hair to be darker than normal, in this case all over the body, except for some bluish areas. on the neck and abdomen.

Black penguins are not a separate species or subspecies of king penguins. Its color is entirely due to a genetic abnormality. In nature, many other animals also have melanin infection such as squirrels, guinea pigs, moths, ladybugs, crows, roosters, even leopards and jaguars.

This particular color also causes some disadvantages. The typical black and white plumage of penguins helps them camouflage when swimming underwater. They benefit from contrast – the black fur on their back blends into the deep ocean when viewed from above, while their white underbelly blends into the sparkling sky when viewed from below. With all-black penguins, camouflage becomes more difficult.

While it’s difficult to say how the penguin’s unusual coloration affects its lifespan, its survival tactics may be affected. Pure black fur will not automatically shorten lifespan, but what is important is how the animal adapts. It has survived up to this point partly because of the safety of living in a large herd.