2007-07-20 18:15:52 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
It is for camouflage. A predator looking up from below like killer whale or a leopard seal will have difficulty distinguishing between a white penguin belly and the reflective water surface. The dark plumage on their backs camouflages them from above.
2007-07-20 22:13:04 · answer #1 · answered by ♥ lani s 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The answer by Lani S, above is largely correct. This kind of marking is very common in aquatic animals and is called counter-shading. Many free-swimming creatures including penguins, whales, sharks, and many fish species have a similar coloration pattern. Many species have a dark dorsal (on their back) region to camouflage them from above. When you look down from above onto a darkly colored back, it blends in well with the sea floor and/or deep water. The ventral area (belly) is shaded white because when viewed from below, the white underside blends in well with the sunlight filtering through the water from above making the animal more difficult to see.
2007-07-21 10:35:05 · answer #2 · answered by friedlander1120 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Protection. When a penguin swims on the surface of the water, its white belly blends into the sky above, making it harder for predators to see it.
2007-07-21 01:33:45 · answer #3 · answered by Chuckles 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure they all do. There are some species off the Pacific Coast of South America and the tip of South Africa which may not.
2007-07-21 01:45:45 · answer #4 · answered by cattbarf 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋