Where do the Penguins live?
Penguins live in practically all the continents of the southern hemisphere. They inhabit in South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and several islands. They inhabit areas covered with snow, and rocky areas, as long as the waters surrounding those places are cold.
Are there penguins in the Arctic?
No, there is no wild population of penguins either in the Arctic or another region of the northern hemisphere. However, the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) can cross the equator and locate geographically in the northern hemisphere eventually.
What do penguins eat?
Everyone is looking for food in the sea, so their food is aquatic. Penguins are carnivorous animals, and their usual diet consists of fish, squid, and krill. Those living in the coldest regions, such as Antarctica, consume almost exclusively krill, but those in temperate regions have greater access to fish and squid.
Do all penguins live in the snow?
No, in fact, some people are surprised when they learn that many species live on rocky sites and never get to see the snow. For example, the African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and the Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) dwell on rocks and sand, and their environments are temperate.
“How can I draw a penguin?”
It’s not as difficult as it sounds. You just need to learn the basic strokes and practice until you get the best out of it. Here you can learn how to draw them:
How do penguins reproduce?
They are serially monogamous, so they usually keep a single partner during the entire breeding season. When they have reached sexual maturity, between 2 and five years of age, they go to the nesting areas, which are usually those where they were born and the same who visit every year. There the male court the female using vocalizations and body language.
Once the couple settles in their nest, the female lays two eggs and both parents take turns to incubate them. In the case of the Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) and the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), the female only lays one egg, and they do not build a nest, but the incubation takes place in brood pouch a bag at the top of their legs. 1 or 2 months later, the chicks hatch and receive care from their parents until they can survive alone.
Do penguins have teeth?
No, they do not have teeth, and therefore they do not nibble on their food. However, they do have structures in the tongue and throat, like thorns, which prevent their food from slipping and escaping from their mouth.
How fast can they swim?
The speed of a penguin in the water depends on the species and its needs. There are speedy Penguins, like the Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), and slow, like the little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), but in general, they reach speeds of about 2 meters per second or 8-9 kilometers per hour. If they need to flee, the Emperor Penguin reaches 20 km/h, and the Adélie penguins can reach up to 30-40 km/h.
How long do penguins live?
It depends on the species, but its life expectancy is around 15-20 years. In captivity, they can live up to 30 years or more.
How do penguins manage to stay warm?
Their body has unique adaptations to maintain the heat, so it does not decrease. First, their plumage is very dense and has a layer of air near the skin that isolates them thermally from the cold; Likewise, they conserve the heat generated when swimming, so that it does not escape from the body. Overlapping waterproof feathers prevent water from touching their sensitive skin. Their plumage is a natural coat.
On the other hand, the thick layer of fat under the skin offers additional insulation protection. If penguins feel cold, they may begin shaking to generate energy and heat or hide their flippers close to their body. The Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) have an interesting strategy: they huddle together to keep their heat.
Why penguins cannot fly?
There are several hypotheses about the inability of penguins to do it, but so far there is no certainty. Some believe that their ancestors evolved from flying birds, but, as they relied more on marine resources, their body changed, and eventually they lost the ability to fly. Also, their legs became shorter, and their bones denser to favor swimming, so that they could no longer fly.
Do penguins have ears?
Penguins have inner ears, but they do not have external ears. Under the plumage, on each side of the head, they have a hole that leads to the ear canal.
Where do penguins get water to drink?
Penguins rarely drink water directly from a source. Instead, they get it from the food: when taking the food into their mouths, salt water also enters into their body, but the supraorbital gland located near the nose excretes the salt so that they can live well.
Why do penguins walk awkwardly?
Penguins are famous for their clumsy and curious walking, which is not like any other bird; this is because they have very short legs and a bulky body that they need to survive, so their steps are very short. Some species can move by small jumps.
Why do the penguins glide over the belly?
Only the Antarctic penguins do it because the frozen surface allows it. The reason? It seems an efficient way to move, as it is faster and saves energy. When they migrate, they alternate the walks and the displacement on the belly, which in English is called tobogganing.
Do all the penguins migrate?
Most of them, yes. Penguins do it to find food or to reach nesting areas to mate.
What’s the biggest penguin?
It is the Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), which reaches a height up to 1.30 meters and weighs up to 45 kilograms.
Why do penguins drop their feathers?
All birds lose feathers throughout their lives just as people drop their hair for various reasons, but penguins experience what is called a complete “molt.” Each year, adults, usually after the breeding season, lose their feather coat due to their natural wear, which is a result of constant grooming, rubbing between individuals and contact with soil, rocks, snow and other Surfaces. As one feather drops, a new one grows behind it. Penguins cannot get into the ocean when molting which makes them vulnerable to land predators.
How do penguins communicate?
For penguins, as for all animals, communicating is an essential issue for survival. They have an extensive repertoire of vocalizations used according to their needs; they also use body movements through which they send messages to their partners. The voice of a penguin is unique and can be recognized by others.
At what temperature do penguins live?
It depends on the species. The range varies from the Galapagos Islands, where temperatures can reach 28° C, to Antarctica, where the winters are -2.2 ° C or less.
