Penguins - Adaptations For Marine Life, Locomotion, Social Behavior, Nesting, Maintaining Body Temperature
species south head islands
Penguins are primitive, flightless birds that are highly specialized for marine life. Most species look
A gentoo penguin with its chick. JLM Visuals. Reproduced by permission.
rather similar, being generally dark-blue or dark-gray on top with a white belly. Some species, however, have a crest on their head and/or patches of color on their head and throat. The legs are set wide apart and the wings are used as flippers. Most species of penguin live and breed on Antarctica, on islands near that continent, or on the southern coasts of South America, Australia, South Africa, or New Zealand. Four northern species inhabit the western coast of South America, as far north as the equatorial Galapagos Islands.
Penguins have unusual and distinct characteristics, and their relationship to other orders of birds is not fully understood. In fact, scientists dispute whether penguins should have their own superorder or even subclass. However, it is generally agreed that penguins belong to the Order Sphenisciformes and the family Spheniscidae. There are six genera of penguins and 16-18 species, depending on the taxonomic treatment.
Additional Topics
Having legs located far back on their body makes it necessary for penguins to walk upright when on land. While some of the smaller species are fairly coordinated, the larger ones (such as the Emperor penguin) are clumsy on land. Penguins do not always have to walk, however. On steep icy slopes, they may travel by sliding on their belly, using their feet to steer and the flippers to steady themselv…
Penguins are social animals; they travel, feed, breed, nest, and winter in large groups. On several Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands, colonies number in the millions. For example, up to two million royal penguins congregate on Macquarie Island, 750 mi (1,200 km) southwest of New Zealand. There are about 10 million birds living on one of the South Sandwich Islands, located north of Antarctica. T…
Penguins spend the majority of their time in the water, but their nesting colonies are often located miles away from the water. Penguins tend to mate with their partner from the prior year's breeding season. The males stake out the territory, which could only be a few square yards. Nests are made in a wide variety of locations, depending on the species, and can be in a rock crevice or burro…
When a penguin dives into the Antarctic Ocean, it is greeted by a water temperature 40 degrees below its own body temperature. (A person without a wet suit can live about 10 minutes in water that cold.) Thus, penguins have adapted certain mechanisms to keep themselves warm. First, each penguin has a 0.7-1.1 in (2-3 cm) thick layer of fat and thick, waterproof plumage to insulate itself. Further, w…
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User Comments
about 1 year ago
Birds are like so ugly retaurtred stupid and fudging hate them HAHAHHAHA ugly penguins they make me wanna pukee GREEN poop
over 4 years ago
i found the contents very interesting and useful.
thanks