#subantarctic

[edinzphoto]

The Light Fantastic

Enjoying a rare sunset with Grey petrels on Antipodes island.

The end of a long day of census blocks, walking in lines over lumpy, orifice-infested vegetation. Wind riffling up the slopes of the southern end of Antipodes island, tossing golden tussocks with a chill sou-wester. Add to that a few thousand Kuia / Grey petrels returning from the sea, and low golden light in a rare patch of clarity, and you have something that is still fizzing in my blood…

[asurrogateblog]

do you think if enough of us promised to become vegetarians we could get paul to admit to something

[synalpheus]

Subantarctic Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus). South Atlantic.

[thepinnipedparade]

South American fur seal (L) – The South American fur seal ranges from Peru to southern Brazil, with most of the population living in Uruguay and the Falkland Islands. Their diet varies greatly depending on where they live, but unlike most pinnipeds they prefer to hunt in groups. Unfortunately they like to live in many of the same areas as the South American sea lion. Male South American sea lions will steal fur seal pups and kill them if they can. Like the Galapagos fur seal, South American fur seals nurse their pups for a comparatively long time.

Subantarctic fur seal (R) – Their range is a long band across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans just above the Antarctic Circle (hence "Subantarctic"), though some far-travelers have settled in Tasmania. Both males and females have gray fur on their backs and orange/cream fur on their undersides. Because their preferred fish migrates close to the surface, they have one of the shallowest dive depths of any pinniped.

[pierog]

going to shit my pants on purpose cos why is new zealand SO HOSTILE towards young people trying to eat food and live in a house….!!!!!!!!!! im in the uk and everyone’s complaining about cozzie livs while Im like AAAAAAAARRGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!! YOU DON’T KNOW HOW GOOD YOU HAVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tt-squid]

saw a penguin today 👍👍

[drhoz]

Learn a little about MEGAHERBS ! This is a trip we did in 2011 to the subantarctic islands just south of New Zealand. We were supporting research done by an amazing group of scientists from the University of Otago. Awesome people, great projects and stunning scenery. Interview of Lorna Little, Department of Botany, University of Otago, New Zealand.

[soup-mother]

vote me for communist prime minister and I'll add 100 new emojis entirely of subantarctic seabirds.

[violetsandshrikes]

SO

Reischek's parakeet!

we think there is about 4,000-6,000 of them spread out throughout the subantarctic islands (including all the little satellite islands) where you’ll mainly find them on the plains, coastal fringes or occupying currently empty penguin colonies

we don’t know too much about their ecology, but we do know they make burrows in big tussock plants (mainly during the breeding season), that they bask and preen together in sheltered areas, and they’re strong fliers (strong enough to fly between island)

the majority of their diet is plant matter, but they’re also known to eat invertebrates, and occasionally scavenge dead petrels and albatrosses

Antipodes parakeet!

these guys are really notable for their diet and food ecology. they mainly eat leaves, however they are well-known for scavenging bird carcasses and broken eggs, and more surprisingly - they go into burrows and kill and eat grey-backed storm petrels (this makes them the second occasionally predatory parrot in aotearoa alongside the kea)

you’ll find these guys also in the subantarctic antipodes islands, in sedges and tussocks, and mainly along slopes and streams. we currently believe there is anywhere between 1,000-2,000 of them across islands

these guys also tunnel and utilise seabird labyrinths throughout tussocks and grasses. so they’re also really well-known for disappearing and popping up a surprising distance away when startled. they are capable of strong flight but they don’t seem to like to use it, so they tend to only fly very short bursts, and are seen hopping around a lot

other lesser known parrot species i would love to see hyped up: Reischek's parakeet and Antipodes parakeet!! they’re hanging out down on the subantarctic islands and they are very cool

[edinzphoto]

Northern Giant Petrels

Hanging out with other charismatic seabirds.

Northern Giant Petrels don’t get a lot of love. Their various nicknames include ‘stinkpot’, which is, if occasionally accurate, a little rude. Having been the recipient of the self-defence projectile vomit of their chicks, I can confirm that the stink is real. When not vomiting, though, they actually have the quite pleasant warm musky bird smell that many petrels share. They’re quite fastidious…

[dailyoverview]

Île des Pingouins, or Penguin Island, is an uninhabited island in the subantarctic Crozet Archipelago of the southern Indian Ocean. It is small — just 1 square mile (3 sq. km) — with coastal cliffs ranging from 164 to 984 feet (50-300 meters) tall, making it virtually inaccessible by sea. The island is an important nesting site for seabirds and has an exceptionally high density of avian residents, including a million pairs of macaroni penguins.

-46.416667°, 50.400000°

Source imagery: Airbus Space

[sealsdaily]

Can we get a list of seal species that haven't been posted so we can make bingo sheets? :)

I saw this ask and briefly got really excited and almost started making my own then reread. Anyways!

Crabeater seal

Galapagos sea lion

South American sea lion

Brown fur seal

Subantarctic fur seal

Guadalupe fur seal

Juan Fernandez fur seal

Galapagos fur seal

Antipodean fur seal (Kekeno)

South American fur seal

[asterwild]

The gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is a medium-sized penguin species found throughout several Antarctic and subantarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. The origin of their common name is unclear; the word "gentoo" was historically used by Europeans and Anglo-Indians to refer to indigenous peoples of India (now considered derogatory) and was possibly applied to the penguins with the insinuation that the white markings on their head are turban-like. Their name is now also known for being shared with a Linux distribution.

[todropscience]

Chilean paleontologists have released their findings on a new duck-billed dinosaur named Gonkoken nanoi, which inhabited Chilean Patagonia in the late Cretaceous, in the late age of the Dinosaur, approximately 70 mya.

The name Gonkoken nanoi means similar to koken or swan in Tehuelche language,  the indigenous people that inhabited the region where this species was found, and nanoi in honort to Mario “Nano” Ulloa, who helped during expeditions. It is estimated that it could have measured between 3.5 and 4 meters in length and weighed between 600 kilograms and one ton.

Chilean Patagonia could have been a refuge for these primitive forms of hadrosaurs, which would have migrated to the Southern Hemisphere long before more advanced forms, and it is believed these hadrosaur may have even reached Antarctica, when it was connected to South America.

3D Reconstruction by  Christopher Chávez

Reference (Open Access): Alarcón-Muñoz et a., 2023. Relict duck-billed dinosaurs survived into the last age of the dinosaurs in subantarctic Chile. Science Advance

[makairodonx]

71 million years ago as the sun sets before the subantarctic forests of what is now the Dorotea Formation of Chile, a pair of Gonkoken nanoi search the woods for flowers and leaves to eat from bushes while a Stegouros elengassen munches on a couple of ferns in the background.

[mutant-distraction]

The Southern Rockhopper Penguin. . .🐧

The Southern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) is a fascinating species of penguin. These charming penguins truly stand out with their distinctive features!

They are characterized by their striking yellow eyebrows and long plumes that extend behind their red eyes. With a length of 45–58 cm and a weight of 2–3.4 kg, they are the smallest of the yellow-crested penguins within their genus.

Southern rockhopper penguins occur in the subantarctic waters of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. They can also be found around the southern coasts of South America. The southern rockhopper penguin was formally described in 1781 by the German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster.

The southern rockhopper penguin is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Their populations face threats such as habitat degradation, climate change, and human disturbance.

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Image credit: Jarbas Mattos

Text credit: Udayanga Wishwajith