With his bright yellow crest and red bill, Rockhopper Penguin is one of the most striking members of the Penguin Family. Rockhopper Penguin got his name by hopping over rocks and climbing up cliffs to his nest. His feet are suited for land since his four toes and his long, sharp claws provide a good grip on the rocks. Rockhopper Penguin lives among the volcanic lava of his islands of the Sub-Antarctic as well as on the ice farther south.
The most aggressive of Penguins, Rockhopper Penguin will jump up and snap at anything that strays in to his territory. Although Rockhopper Penguin lives in a large colony with his fellow Penguins, He and his mate fight to establish a territory of their own. In a Rockhopper Penguin colony, nests are squeezed together about 60 centimeters apart (2 feet), guarded by a bad tempered Rockhopper Penguin wielding a menacing beak. Rockhopper Penguin breaks the mold of what people expect a Penguin to be.
Between his bullying behavior and his preference to hop instead of waddling makes Rockhopper Penguin, the non-Penguin Penguin. Learn from Rockhopper Penguin not to live up to other people’s expectations. Be yourself, and follow your own path, just do not turn into a bully.
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Rockhopper Penguin Photo copyrighted by Department of Conservation and Land Management, Government of Western Australia