Three Humboldt penguin chicks have hatched at the Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid. (David Selbert/Pexels).
The Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid recently hatched three Humboldt penguin chicks for the first time ever. Here’s what you need to know.
History was recently made at the Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid in Galveston when three Humboldt penguin chicks hatched for the first time ever at the conservation site. Humboldt penguins were brought into the aquarium pyramid initially in 2017, but staff have been unsuccessful at helping them hatch chicks over the last nine or so years. One of the Moody Gardens biologists, Amy Jones, said of the special occasion, “This is our first ever time having Humboldt penguin chicks, so we’re very excited.”
The babies will be closely and carefully looked after as they remain protected by their parents in nesting boxes. Since penguin chicks are born covered in a soft layer of down, they’re not able to enter the water until their adult feathers grow in, which are waterproof. Due to this, they’ll remain in their current enclosure and receive routine check-ups and weigh-ins from staff before they’re able to join the 12 adult Humboldt penguins in the aquarium’s colony. At that point, they’ll be on view to the public. Between now and then though, you’ll just have to admire these little chicks through photos and videos (like this adorable one Moody Gardens posted on Facebook).
DNA testing will be performed at a later date to determine the sex of the chicks. Two chicks were born on March 15 to the same set of penguin parents, Cusco and Yolanda. A third chick was born on March 18 to Ballestas and Marcona. The fluffy trio have yet to be named.
Humboldt penguins thrive in warm weather
If you’re anything like me, you also spent most of your life assuming that all penguins hailed from cold weather areas, but apparently that’s not the case. Humboldt penguins are actually a warm-weather species that are native to coastal regions of Chile and Peru. They get their name from the Humboldt Current, which is where they typically flock to in the wild. The Humboldts are, unfortunately, considered a vulnerable species, which means they’re at risk for extinction due to a variety of factors including habitat disruption, climate change, and overfishing.
To help mimic the environment they’re most comfortable in, the waters in their Moody Gardens habitat are kept at 55 degrees, and the air within the enclosure is controlled to remain at about 75 degrees. This allows the penguins to thrive and to put their unique personality traits on display for staff and visitors alike. “The Humboldt penguins are very sweet — It’s just very fun to see their different personalities and how they interact,” Amy Jones said. She also noted that they tend to be very active and curious creatures, so to keep them entertained, Moody Gardens staffers will blow bubbles for them and encourage them to play with toys.
As Jones put it, “We bring out enrichment every day to give them something new and fun to do, something to keep their brains engaged. We’ve got a lot of them who love to chase stuff around.” If you want to witness these exciting theatrics for yourself, you can purchase tickets to the Aquarium Pyramid here. Prices vary depending on the age of the guest and whether you want individual or combination tickets to see multiple attractions at once (like the aquarium and the theater).
Just remember that it’ll still be a little while before you can see the chicks in all their history-making glory!
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This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
