This is dedicated to my friend Gary whose poor beer supply is in dire peril as the evil and treacherous penguin king consistenly sends out his minions to steal it. These facts are for you, Gary. Educate yourself, my friend, so you may better protect the precious beer. Never give in! Never surrender!!
Penguins are flightless sea birds of the Southern Hemisphere. In all, there are 18 species of penguins, found in South Australia, New Zealand, and off the coasts of Peru, Chile, and South Africa. Some species live as far north as the equatorial Galapagos Islands, but they are primarily cold-weather birds. There are seven species of Antarctic penguins: the Adelie, Gentoo, Macaroni, Chinstrap, Rockhopper, King, and Emperor. The Adelie and the Emperor are the two true Antarctic species.
Penguins have a heavier skeleton than most birds, waterproof feathers, and specialized glands that extract and excrete excess salt. Their feathers, which even cover their bills and feet, combine with a thick layer of fat to insulate them. This works so effectively that the birds frequently overheat in the frigid waters. They vary, by species, from the sixteen inch, two and a half pound Little Blue penguin of Australia to the truly Antarctic sixty-six pound Emperor penguin, which stands more than three and a half feet tall. (The Emperor has actually been recorded at up to ninety pounds.)
Penguins swim like other birds fly. Their wings have not disappeared, nor have they become vestigial, useless appendages. Instead, they've evolved into flippers. Penguins use highly developed muscles to flap their wings to move forward, and they guide themselves with their tail. They are the only bird to "porpoise." That is to say, they launch themselves out of the water, momentarily flying in fluid arches as they continue to swim forward at high speeds like dolphins. Penguins do this in order to breathe, but porpoising also creates air bubbles that reduce friction during swimming. Gentoo penguins are thought to be the fastest of all swimming birds, achieving speeds of thirteen to seventeen miles per hour.
Penguins breed in colonies and can be fiercely territorial. They breed closely together mostly because there is very little ice-free space. But they are also highly social animals that recognize individuals and return as adults to the rookery where they were born. The colony helps these birds guard, protect, and defend their young. Within these colonies, penguins build rookeries with pebbles and guano. (The Emperor does not build any nest at all because it breeds on the ice.)
Penguins fall prey to leopard seals, sea lions, and killer whales. Skua gulls are the greatest natural threat to chicks and eggs. In their turn, penguins dive to hunt fish, squid and krill -- a small shrimp-like crustacean. Krill is a very large part of the diet. (In fact, the penguinsà dependence on krill was demonstrated in dramatic fashion in 1995, when thousands of Adelie and Emperor chicks died due to unusual movements of krill swarms.) Most penguins submerge for about 1 minute, but Emperors can dive as deep as 180 feet for up to 18 minutes.
