Alice White
Penguins are cute creatures, amazing and beautiful in their own way. No wonder they often become characters in various cartoons – many believe that a penguin is something fluffy, warm, and fat, like a domestic cat. This, of course, is not so, but several interesting facts are connected with these creatures.
- Penguins are afraid of killer whales, and naturally – the latter hunt them with enthusiasm. When the penguins do not know if there is a natural enemy nearby, they crowd for a long time on the edge of the ice floe until the bravest member of the flock dares to dive. If he survives, the others follow.
- The largest penguins in the world are emperors. For ten months out of twelve a year, they live in Antarctica.
- Penguins really do not freeze in cold water thanks to a thick layer of fat and feathers that fit tightly to each other.
- Polar species of penguins can withstand temperatures down to -60 degrees
- Penguins’ legs also do not freeze, because the number of nerve endings in them is minimal.
- Emperor penguins are monogamous, they mate for life.
- Penguins are very sensitive to their eggs. Once a group of geologists stole an egg from them in order to eat it, but a flock of penguins began to chase them. No, no plot for a horror movie – the penguins just silently followed the people. The geologists decided to give them the egg, after which the chase stopped.
- Penguins often move on slippery ice by lying on their stomachs and pushing off the surface with their wings and paws.
- Penguins prefer to fish in the upper layers of the water, but if necessary, they can dive to a depth of 150-200 meters.
- Penguins are the only birds in the world that can walk upright.
- Not all penguins are harmless cuties. Stone penguins, for example, have a rather aggressive disposition. They can easily attack any object that they don’t like.
- Once a year, penguins grow new feathers, getting rid of old ones.
- Penguins do not need fresh water – they are able to drink salty seawater, as special glands in their body filter out salt.
- Emperor penguins hunt on average once every two weeks, gorging themselves to capacity. During this break, they can lose up to half of their mass.
- In penguin flocks, experienced old males teach the young to hunt.
- The most common penguins in the world are golden-haired. There are about twenty million of them.
- In emperor penguins, eggs are hatched not by females, but by males.
- Expressing tender feelings, the male spectacled penguin gently strokes his female on the head with a wing.
- Penguins only seem awkward. Yes, on land they are, but in water, they turn out to be surprisingly dexterous and agile creatures.
- Chinstrap penguins build their nests using rocks and earth as building materials.
- Least of all penguin species, magnificent penguins love water. They spend most of their lives on land.
- All penguins have black backs. This allows you to better attract all the heat – black, as you know, promotes heating.
