Interesting Facts about Penguins
Interesting Facts about Penguins
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Penguin is a bird. Their feathers are waterproof and help them maintain insulation. A gland near the penguin's tail secretes oil into its feathers, which the bird will spread thoroughly while preening its feathers to provide waterproofing. Their eyes work better underwater. This helps them in spotting prey while swimming. Penguins can live for 15 to 20 years. They vary in height from 16 inches to about 4 feet. |
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Emperor penguin is the largest of all penguin species while fairy penguin is the smallest. The emperor penguin is the largest standing 44 inches tall and can weigh up to 41 kg. Fairy penguin stands just 16 in tall and weighs only 1 kg.
Did you know that once there was a penguin species that was much taller than today's emperor penguin reaching heights of 6 feet? Nordenskjoeld's giant penguin lived in Antarctica and New Zealand about 37 to 45 million years ago.
The Newzealand giant penguin is considered the heaviest penguin species ever. These extinct penguins used to weigh 80 kg or more. As the name suggests, this penguin was found in New Zealand.
The fairy penguin is also called little blue penguin.
They spend most of their lives in water.
Did you know that there is a penguin that lives along the equator? The Galápagos penguin manages to survive along equator because of cool temperatures and cool water brought to the islands by ocean currents.
The number of extant penguin species is still debated. Depending on which authority is followed, penguin biodiversity varies between 17 and 20 living species.
They mostly eat krill, fish and squids.
The oldest known fossil penguin species is Waimanu manneringi which roamed the Earth about 62 million years.
Very rarely a penguin is born with brown instead of black plumage and such penguins are called isabelline penguins.
King penguins and emperor penguins do not make nests. Each mated pair incubate a single egg. A parent will incubate this egg on its feet.
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