A.The penguins at the Aquarium eat fish. Some of the types of fish they eat are capelin, anchovy, herring, smelt and sardines.

In the water, penguins have to watch out for orcas, sharks and leopard seals. On land, birds called skuas will grab penguin eggs and chicks. In many places, penguins are also threatened by introduced predators: cats, foxes or other animals brought into the penguin's habitat by humans.

Squirrels do not normally eat meat. They will, when faced with hunger and no other source of food eat bird eggs, insects or pick at a carcass. There are also reports of male squirrels that attempt to eat infant squirrels. While this is true, it is so rare, it is not mentioned very often. Index

Yes. In the countries where wasps originate, a wide range of natural predators have been recorded including invertebrates (dragonflies, robber flies, hornets, centipedes, and spiders), birds (at least 24 species are known to eat wasps, including blackbirds, magpies, starlings) and mammals. In Britain, badgers are the chief predator: they destroy entire colonies to obtain the brood-filled comb. Stoats, weasels and mice also disrupt colonies in the early stages.

All penguins come from the Southern Hemisphere and they live in places ranging from the Galapagos Islands to the coast of Antarctica.

Penguins sleep on land and while floating at sea. On land they can sleep lying down or standing up sometimes with their head tucked below on wing. Check out the Behaviors Page for more information.

Penguins have good vision both above and below the water. This is due to their ability to alter the shape of the lens of the eye to accommodate both environments. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.

Of the 17 species of penguins in the world 3 species are endangered and 9 others are threatened. A major threat to penguins are human interference and particularly oil spils (see inset photo). Check out the individual world penguins species pages on this site for more information.

Yes, a penguin's leg is composed of a short femur, knee, tibia and fibula. The upper leg bones are not visible as they are covered in feathers giving penguins a very short legged appearance. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.

No. A penguin's beak has sharp edges and is hooked to trap wriggling fish. The tongue and roof of the beak is lined with flexible, downward pointing spines which hold on to their slippery food. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.

Yes. The ears are located on the sides of the head in the same location as ours but cannot be seen as the ears are covered by the penguins dense feathers. A penguins ear has no lobes it is just a simple hole.

Penguins have a streamlined body for life at sea with their legs placed at the rear of their bodies. On land this gives the penguin an upright stance and their characteristic waddle. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.

It appears that some species do migrate from their breeding colonies to locations of abundant food supply following the breeding season.Both Rockhopper and Magellanic penguins migrate.

Usually mates will greet each other in several ways such as the ecstatic display, bowing and quivering. The mutual ecstatic display involves the pair facing each other and bowing and then pointing their bills to the sky and braying or trumpeting together. Check out the Behaviors Page for more information.

The penguins are not pets. We do however handle the penguins during veterinary exams and for other husbandry needs.

Yes. During the breeding season penguins will aggressively defend their nesting sites and even during the off season each bird can usually be found in the same spot within the exhibit.

Our penguins are not pets. They have become accustomed to the staff people but are not tame and can be unpredictable.

If you would like to volunteer with the penguin department and are 18 or older you can apply with the volunteer office.

One way that scientists categorize animals is by analyzing their diets. Herbivores feed only on plants, carnivores on other animals and omnivores on both plants and animals. Some animals, like howler monkeys, are vegetarians. Other animals, like jaguars, are hunters and are known to eat more than 85 species of prey.

At the present time, the Los Angeles Zoo does not have the facilities to care for either penguins or pandas, but we do add new species to our collection regularly. Please check the animal residents page frequently for new additions!

Although these incidents are not unprecedented in the aquarium, they are rare, and we try to keep them to a minimum—primarily by ensuring that the animals in our care are all well fed. The first white shark we kept on exhibit bit two other sharks, though it wasn't clear that she was hunting them. The second white shark showed no interest in his exhibit-mates.

Yes. The NAS study did not identify any food safety concerns associated with meat, milk products, or therapeutic proteins derived from transgenic animals.

The "might makes right" argument has been used by many to justify cruelty and domination throughout history. Just as intelligence is an insufficient characteristic to justify human supremacy, so is strength.

Animal Care and Control operates three shelters. One is for the City of Coolidge on Kenworthy Road. Another is in San Manuel near the rodeo grounds, and the third is our main office/shelter at 764 S. Eleven Mile Corner Road between Coolidge and Casa Grande.

To our knowledge there are no studies concerning UV-B effects on penguins. As their eyes are exposed to a lot of UV due to the high reflectivity of snow and a marked enhancement during the ozone hole, investigation into the impact on penguins is desirable. The fact that penguins are visual predators, eating krill or fish in the water column, would make any eye damage an important issue for survival.

No. This flightless, aquatic bird is native to the Southern Circumpolar Region, only a short 10,000 miles to the south.

Penguins have more feathers per square inch then any other bird on earth.The feathers are small and fit together very tightly making them look smooth like fur. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.