The known host range of circoviruses is continuously expanding because of more intensive diagnostic activities and advanced sequencing tools. Recently, a new circovirus (penguin circovirus (PenCV)) was identified in the guano and cloacal samples coll...
Corneal confocal microscopy has not previously been performed in penguins, despite recognition of its unusually flat shape. To identify features that the penguin shares with other birds and or mammals and those specific to penguins, we undertook conf...
Circoviruses infect a variety of animal species and have small (~1.8–2.2 kb) circular single-stranded DNA genomes. Recently a penguin circovirus (PenCV) was identified associated with an Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) with feather d...
As the largest species of birds in Antarctica, penguins are called “biological indicators”. Changes in the environment will cause population fluctuations. Therefore, developing a penguin census regularly will not only help carry out conse...
Swimming is an important behavior for all penguin species. However, zoo-housed penguins typically do not swim as often as their wild counterparts, which may have consequences for their health and welfare. In an effort to increase the swimming time of...
Emerging viral diseases have become a significant concern due to their potential consequences for animal and environmental health. Over the past few decades, it has become clear that viruses emerging in wildlife may pose a major threat to vulnerable...
The paired-box 3 (Pax3) is a transcription factor and it plays an important part in melanin synthesis. In this study, a new Pax3 gene was identified from Pteria penguin (Röding, 1798) (P. penguin) by RACE-PCR (rapid-amplification of cDNA ends-po...
There is growing interest in uncovering the viral diversity present in wild animal species. The remote Antarctic region is home to a wealth of uncovered microbial diversity, some of which is associated with its megafauna, including penguin species, t...
We examined the effects of regulating the viewing proximity of visitors and the intensity of visitor behaviour on behaviours indicative of fear and stress physiology of 15 zoo-housed little penguins (Eudyptula minor). A 2 × 2 factorial fully ra...
The endangered yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho (Megadyptes antipodes) predominantly forages benthically within its mainland range and shows high foraging site fidelity. Identifying consistencies in foraging locations can allow effective conservation, espec...
Molting is an important biological and physiological stage in penguins, influenced by environmental and nutritional factors. Feather composition analysis before and after molting can consequently place boundaries on element bioaccumulation and excret...
Emerging avian avulaviruses (AVVs) have been identified in Antarctic ecosystems; however, their biological properties and current circulation remain poorly understood. This study utilized historical egg-isolated Antarctic penguin avulavirus strains (...
Bivalves use byssal threads for attachment and locomotion, periodically shedding and regenerating them. In the winged pearl oyster Pteria penguin—known for its strong byssus and its role in the pearl industry—shedding may occur when the b...
During the day, photovoltaic (PV) systems are exposed to different sunlight conditions in addition to partial shading (PS). Accordingly, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques have become essential for PV systems to secure harvesting the maxi...
Monitoring Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) populations on the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) provides information about the health of the species and the WAP marine ecosystem itself. In January 2017, surveys of Adélie penguin col...
The logistical challenges of Antarctic field work and the increasing availability of very high resolution commercial imagery have driven an interest in more efficient search and classification of remotely sensed imagery. This exploratory study employ...
To identify the dietary composition and characteristics of both Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri) penguins at four breeding sites, we performed stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analysis of down samples tak...
Systematic data collection has become increasingly important in zoos as it facilitates evidence-based decision-making. Here, we describe the results of a two-year study on exhibit use and pair-bonding in a colony of Humboldt penguins. We used two dif...
Historical data on chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) breeding population sizes are sparse and sometimes highly uncertain, making it hard to estimate true population trajectories. Yet, information on population trends is desirable as changes i...
Long-term observation of penguin abundance and distribution may warn of changes in the Antarctic marine ecosystem and provide support for penguin conservation. We conducted an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) survey of the Adélie penguin (Pygosce...
Reproductive endocrine monitoring in penguins is fundamental for improving reproductive management, conservation programs, and welfare assessment, but most studies use serum, which requires handling and blood collection. We hypothesized that saliva,...
The gut microbiota of seabirds can undergo shifts during the moulting period due to fasting. Understanding the characteristics of gut microbiota in African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) throughout moulting is meaningful for the conservation and mana...
Theory predicts that sympatric predators compete for food under conditions of limited resources. Competition would occur even within the same species, between neighboring populations, because of overlapping foraging habits. Thus, neighboring populati...
Penguins require vision that is adequate for both subaerial and submarine environments under a wide range of illumination. Here we provide a structured overview of what is known about their visual system with an emphasis on how and how well they achi...
A new versatile actinobacterium designated as strain NJES-13 was isolated from the feces of the Antarctic emperor penguin. This new isolate was found to produce two active gephyromycin analogues and bioflocculanting exopolysaccharides (EPS) metabolit...
We surveyed the facilities that were members of the Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums to clarify the incidence of aspergillosis, which is a major cause of death in captive penguins, and to discern effective preventive measures. Responses were o...
We examined 185 metabolites in 30 adult Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) nesting at the Punta San Juan Marine Protected Area, Peru, in order to examine gender differences in metabolome profiles, particularly those involved in metabolism and e...
An understanding of the microbial communities in African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) could provide valuable information for saving this endangered species. The objective of this study was to investigate the composition, diversity and sex-related d...
Avian malaria is caused by infection with haemoprotozoa of the genus Plasmodium. Infection is endemic in large parts of the world and is typically subclinical in birds that are native to these regions. Several penguin species have evolved in non-ende...
It is currently unknown if current guidelines for collecting and interpreting blood corticosterone in flying birds can be extrapolated to penguins. It is also difficult to collect blood quickly without causing stress to a penguin. Therefore, immunore...
Adenoviruses (family Adenoviridae) infect various organ systems and cause diseases in a wide range of host species. In this study, we examined multiple tissues from Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica), collected in Antarctica during 2009 and 2...
There are two pygoscelid penguins, the Gentoo (Pygoscelis papua Forster, 1781) and Adélie (P. adeliae Hombron and Jacquinot, 1841) penguins, breeding sympatrically on Ardley Island, Fildes Peninsula region, South Shetlands, Antarctica. Whether the tw...
Bubble-assisted drag reduction is a promising strategy for improving the energy efficiency of underwater bodies, but its effectiveness depends not only on air injection but also on the ability of the body geometry to retain bubbles close to the surfa...
The impact of tourism on Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) in Patagonia is a complex issue that requires a balanced approach between conservation and sustainable tourism development. While tourism in the region can bring significant econo...
Antarctica is a relatively pristine continent that attracts scientists and tourists alike. However, the risk of environmental pollution in Antarctica is increasing with the increase in the number of visitors. Recently, there has been a surge in inter...
Studies on the effects of visitors on zoo animals have shown mixed findings and as a result, the manner in which visitors affect zoo animals remains unclear for many species, including a rarely studied taxa such as penguins. Penguins are a common zoo...
Penguins are considered among the most popular animals for zoo and aquarium visitors to observe. Swimming is considered a desirable activity, both for the visitor experience and the welfare of the penguins. However, little is known about the amount o...
Avian malaria has been a continuous problem in both wild and captive populations of penguins throughout the world. In Japan, where there are over 3000 captive penguins, avian malaria (by Plasmodium spp.) and haemoproteosis (by Haemoproteus spp.) have...
Sexual dimorphism is a major source of intraspecific variation that might complicate the taxonomic interpretation of fossil penguins, potentially leading to an overestimation of species diversity when sex-related morphological variation is misinterpr...
Health diagnostics of wildlife have historically relied on the evaluation of select serum biomarkers and the identification of a contaminant or pathogen burden within specific tissues as an indicator of a level of insult. However, these approaches fa...
Antarctic marine ecosystems undergo enormous changes, presumably due to climate change and fishery. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have an unprecedented potential for measuring these changes by mapping indicator species such as penguins even in remo...
Identifying the factors influencing seabird breeding output is critical for their conservation because breeding performance in turn influences population dynamics. This is particularly important in sensitive environments, where ecological disturbance...
The escalating global contamination of aquatic ecosystems by pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) stemming from diverse anthropogenic sources represents a critical and pervasive threat to planetary Earth. These contaminants exhib...
Reference intervals for clinical chemistry and haematology analytes are essential for the interpretation of blood results, but limited data are available for Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in zoological collections as well as in the wild. T...
21 September 2021
Polar regions, symbols of wilderness, have been identified as potential sinks of mercury coming from natural and anthropogenic sources at lower latitudes. Changes in ice coverage currently occurring in some areas such as the Antarctic Peninsula could...
This review synthesizes current research on hydrofoil-propelled robots inspired by the swimming mechanisms of sea turtles and penguins. It begins by summarizing the swimming kinematics of these organisms, highlighting their superior aquatic performan...
Understanding the causes of disease in Antarctic wildlife is crucial, as many of these species are already threatened by environmental changes brought about by climate change. In recent years, Antarctic penguins have been showing signs of an unknown...
Penguins, like most birds, are considered monomorphic species. Cloacal endoscopy, laparoscopy, or molecular sex verification are used to determine sex in such animals. Our aim in this study was to investigate whether sex recognition can be performed...
We describe a partial skeleton of a stem group penguin from the Waipara Greensand in New Zealand, which is tentatively assigned to Muriwaimanu tuatahi. The fossil includes the first complete wing of a Paleocene penguin and informs on previously unkno...
In Antarctica, prey availability for the mesopredator Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae, depends on sea-ice dynamics. By affecting cycles of sea-ice formation and melt, climate change could thus affect penguin diet and recruitment. In the lig...
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