New records of South American sea lion Otaria flavescens predation on southern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome at Staten Island, Argentina

Predation by fur seals and sea lions has been identified, among others, as a potential cause of the declines in rockhopper penguin populations. Here, we report a multiple predation event of southern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome by South American sub-adult male sea lions Otaria flavescens...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Biology
Main Authors: Raya Rey, Andrea Nélida, Saenz Samaniego, Ricardo Andres, Petracci, Pablo Fabricio
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Springer
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/94844
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Summary:Predation by fur seals and sea lions has been identified, among others, as a potential cause of the declines in rockhopper penguin populations. Here, we report a multiple predation event of southern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome by South American sub-adult male sea lions Otaria flavescens at Staten Island, Argentina. The sea lions attacked and preyed on penguins mostly using a wait and rush tactic at sea, but in some cases, penguins were also pursued on land. Although observations suggested that only a few sea lions are involved in predation, further research is necessary to elucidate the importance of this predation in the rate of population decline. Fil: Raya Rey, Andrea Nélida. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Saenz Samaniego, Ricardo Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Petracci, Pablo Fabricio. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Área Zoología; Argentina