On the island of Rongé from Antarctica was observed a rare chicken of sub -antarctic penguin with melanism, completely black.
Usually, these penguins have the classic “tuxedo” style, but genetic mutations such as leucism and melanism can lead to changes in the color of the plumage.
Leucism causes the loss of pigmentation, making the animal paler than normal. In the penguins, this can be manifested by a yellowish-yellow hue. Melanism, on the other hand, leads to an excess of pigment, making the animals darker, sometimes completely black.
The photograph of the melanistic chicken was taken by the penguin specialist Laura Bogard. She noted that the black shade of the chicken is not completely uniform. “I carefully climbed a hill and noticed that this chicken was different from the others! I stayed with them, photographing it and admiring its adorable pink and charismatic smile,” Bogard said.
She added that she had previously seen sub -antarctic penguins, but it is for the first time when she observes melanism. This year, the team of researchers discovered two melanism chicks – an extremely rare phenomenon.
The usual penguin coloring helps them to camouflage, protecting them from predators. However, the melanistic chicken is easier to see, although, according to Bogard, it is healthy and develops well.
The chicken was discovered during the research carried out by the Oceanites Inc. organization, which deals with the monitoring of the penguin population in Antarctica. Grant Humphries, the scientific director of Oceanites Inc., mentioned that the data collected are available online, which facilitates the supervision of the Antarctic peninsula.
The fate of the melanistic chicken remains unknown, but recently an adolescent, apparently healthy. The Oceanites Inc. team He registered two cases of melanism in a single year, although previously there were only two published cases.
Pinguins play an essential role in Antarctic ecosystem, and their number is monitored to observe climate change. “The representatives of the sub -antarctic species are generally more peaceful than the Adélie and Antarctic penguins, but the parents still defend their chicks,” said the specialist in penguins Maiti Hilton.
