A group of penguins. The penguin has wool or feathers, what they eat, how they live - some interesting facts about these amazing waterfowl. Natural habitat of penguins
general characteristics
The largest of the modern representatives is the emperor penguin (height - 110-120 cm, weight up to 46 kg), the smallest are representatives of the species Eudyptula minor- small penguin (height 30-40 cm, weight 1-2.5 kg). Such significant differences are explained by Bergmann's rule, of which penguins are a frequent example. Bergmann's rule states that animals living in cold regions have large body sizes, since this contributes to a more rational ratio of the volume and surface of the animal's body and, thereby, to a decrease in heat loss.
Emperor penguins in Antarctica
body structure
From all other birds, penguins are distinguished by a very special body structure. The body shape of the penguins is streamlined, which is ideal for movement in the water. The forelimbs of penguins are nothing more than flippers. The musculature and structure of the bones allows them to work underwater with their wings almost like screws. Unlike other flightless birds, penguins have a sternum with a distinct keel, to which powerful muscles are attached. Swimming under water differs from flying in the air in that the same energy is expended on raising the wing as on lowering, since water resistance is greater than air resistance, therefore penguin blades have a large surface in comparison with other birds, on which muscles are attached, responsible for lifting the wing. The humerus and forearm bone are connected at the elbow straight and motionless, which increases the stability of the wing. The pectoral muscles are unusually developed and sometimes account for up to 30% of body weight, which is several times greater than the muscles of the most powerful flying birds. The femurs are very short, the knee joint is immobile, and the legs are noticeably set back, which is the reason for the unusually upright gait. Large feet with a swimming membrane are relatively short - being on land, animals often rest, standing on their heels, while the rigid tail unit serves as additional support for them. The tail of penguins is greatly shortened, since the steering function, which it usually has in other waterfowl, is performed primarily by the legs in penguins. The second clear difference between penguins and other birds is bone density. All birds have tubular bones, which makes their skeleton lighter and allows them to fly or run fast. But in penguins, they are similar to the bones of mammals (dolphins and seals) and do not contain internal cavities.
thermoregulation
Within their habitat, penguins are exposed to extreme climatic conditions and have different anatomical features that allow them to adapt to these conditions. For thermal insulation, first of all, a thick layer of fat - from 2 to 3 cm - is used, above which there are three layers of waterproof, short, tight-fitting feathers evenly distributed throughout the body. Apteria - areas of skin devoid of feathers are absent in penguins, unlike almost all other birds; the exception is some tropical species, which have apteria on the front of the head. The air in the layers of feathers also effectively protects against heat loss while in the water. Also, penguins have a well-developed "heat transfer system" in the fins and legs: the arterial blood entering them gives off heat to the colder venous blood flowing back to the body, thus heat loss is minimized. This process is called the "reverse flow principle". On the other hand, tropical penguin species have to contend with overheating. Their fins in relation to the size of the body have a large area, so the surface from which heat transfer occurs is increased. In some species, in addition to this, there is also no plumage on the front, which accelerates the process of heat transfer in the shade.
Plumage
Numerous small, undifferentiated, rather hair-like feathers that make up the plumage, in almost all species of penguins, have a grayish-blue, turning into a black tint on the back, and white on the stomach. This coloration is camouflage for many marine animals (eg dolphins). Males and females are very similar, although males are slightly larger. Most crested penguins (Eudyptes) have a very noticeable orange-yellow decoration on their heads. The plumage of cubs is often gray or brown, but in some species the sides and belly are white. At the end of incubation of eggs and rearing of chicks, molting begins in penguins - a change in plumage. During molting, penguins shed a large number of feathers at the same time and during this time they are not able to swim in the water and remain without food until new feathers grow. New feathers grow under the old ones and seem to push them out. During this period, lasting from two to six weeks in different species, birds use their fat reserves twice as fast. Antarctic penguins (Pygoscelis papua) and Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) do not have a distinct molting period, in these species it can begin at any time between brooding. In birds that do not hatch chicks, molting almost always begins earlier than the rest.
Vision and hearing
The eyes of penguins are perfectly adapted to the conditions of swimming under water; the cornea of their eyes is very flat, as a result of which on land the birds are a little short-sighted. Another means of adaptation is the contractility and extensibility of the pupil, which is especially pronounced in emperor penguins diving to great depths. Due to this feature, the eyes of penguins very quickly adapt to changing light conditions in water at a depth of up to 100 m. An analysis of the pigment composition allows us to conclude that penguins see in the blue part of the spectrum better than in the red, and probably even perceive ultraviolet rays. Since light in the red part of the spectrum is scattered already in the upper layers of the water, this feature of vision is likely the result of evolutionary adaptation. The ears of penguins, like those of most birds, do not have a clear external structure. When diving, they are tightly closed with special feathers, so that water does not penetrate into the ear. Emperor penguins also have an enlarged rim of the outer ear so that it can close, thereby protecting the middle and inner ear from the pressure damage that diving to great depths can cause. Under water, penguins make almost no sounds, and on land they communicate through screams that resemble the sounds of a pipe and rattle. It has not yet been established whether they use their hearing to track prey and locate their natural enemies.
Food
Penguins feed on fish - Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum), anchovies (Engraulidae) or sardines (in Clupeidae), as well as crabs such as krill, or small cephalopods, which they prey on by swallowing directly underwater. If different species share the same habitat, their diet tends to be different: Adélie penguins and chinstrap penguins prefer krill of different sizes.
Movement
The average speed that penguins develop in the water is from five to ten kilometers per hour, but higher rates are possible over short distances. The fastest way to get around is "dolphin swimming"; while the animal jumps out of the water for a short time, like a dolphin. The reasons for this behavior are not clear: it probably helps to reduce the resistance of the current, or is intended to confuse natural enemies.
In diving, some penguins break records: smaller species such as the sub-antarctic penguin (Pygoscelis papua) can stay underwater for one or (rarely) more than two minutes and dive to a depth of 20 meters, but emperor penguins are able to stay underwater for 18 minutes and dive to over 530 meters. Although it is precisely the superpowers of Emperor penguins that remain little understood to this day, it is known, however, that when diving, the animal's pulse is reduced to one-fifth of the heart rate at rest; thus, oxygen consumption is reduced, which allows you to increase the duration of being under water with the same volume of air in the lungs. The mechanism for regulating pressure and body temperature during diving to great depths remains unknown.
When out of the water, penguins can jump up to 1.80 m from the coastline. Due to their relatively short legs on land, penguins move from side to side, a method of movement that biomechanics studies have shown to save a lot of energy. On the ice, penguins can also move quickly - they move down from the mountains, lying on their stomachs. Some species cover so many kilometers between the sea and the place where their colony settled.
Habitat
Penguins live in the high seas of the Southern Hemisphere: in the coastal waters of Antarctica, in New Zealand, southern Australia, South Africa, along the entire western coast of South America from the Falkland Islands to Peru, and also on the Galapagos Islands near the Equator. Penguins prefer coolness, therefore, in tropical latitudes, they appear only with cold currents - the Humboldt Current on the western coast of South America or the Benguela Current, which occurs at the Cape of Good Hope and washes the western coast of South Africa.
Most species live between 45° and 60° south latitude; the largest accumulation of individuals is in Antarctica and on the islands adjacent to it.
The northernmost habitat for penguins is the Galápagos Islands, located near the equator.
reproduction
Penguins in folklore
- There is a joke among Russian fans of Formula 1 pilot Kimi Raikkonen that during his years with the McLaren team, penguins (unexpectedly jumping onto the track or sitting in the car) were the cause of technical breakdowns and piloting errors.
- There is another joke: Penguin and we are swallows, only very fat».
Links
- Penguin.su A selection of articles and photos about penguins, interesting facts
- Portal where penguins live Everything about penguins and even more. News, information, photos, postcards, games, etc.
Who doesn't love plump, tuxedo-clad penguins wading through rocks and ice, and tumbling their bellies into the sea? Almost anyone can recognize a penguin, but how much do you really know about these seabirds? Get started with these 7 fascinating and interesting penguin facts.
1. Penguins, like other birds, have feathers.
Penguins may be very different from other feathered relatives, but they are, indeed, birds. Since they spend most of their lives in the water, their feathers are downward-pointing and waterproof. Penguins have a specialized oil gland that ensures the sustainable production of waterproofing oil. The penguin uses its beak to regularly deliver lubricant to its feathers. Lubricated feathers help keep their bodies warm in cold waters and also reduce water resistance while swimming.
Like other birds, penguins molt by shedding old feathers. But instead of shedding their feathers gradually over the course of the year, penguins carry out their molt all at once. This is known as catastrophic molting. Once a year, penguins actively feed on seafood to accumulate fat and prepare for the annual change of feathers. Then, within a few weeks, they shed all their plumage and grow a new one. Because feathers are so important to surviving in icy water, penguins stay on land during this time.
2. Also, penguins, like other birds, have wings.
Although penguins technically have wings, like other birds, they are not like the wings of other birds. Penguin wings are not meant to fly. In fact, they cannot fly at all. Penguin wings are flattened and tapered, and look and function more like dolphin fins than bird wings.
Evolutionary biologists believe that penguins could fly in the past, but over the course of millions of years, their flying skills faded. Penguins became efficient divers and torpedo-like swimmers, with wings designed to propel bodies through the water column instead of air. A study published in 2013 determined that this evolution is based on energy efficiency. Birds that swim and fly, like the thick-billed murre, expend an enormous amount of energy in the air. Because their wings are modified for swimming, they are less aerodynamic and require more power to fly. Penguins have made an evolutionary bet that it is better to be good swimmers than to try to fly and swim. Thus, their wings became more like fins over time.
3. Penguins are skilled and fast swimmers
After making a commitment to living in water instead of air, prehistoric penguins have proven themselves to be world champion swimmers. Most penguin species swim at a speed of 7-11 km per hour, but the gentoo penguin ( Pygoscelis papua) can reach an incredible 36 km per hour. Penguins are able to dive tens of meters deep and stay underwater for 20 minutes.
Birds have hollow bones so they are lighter in the air, but penguin bones are thicker and heavier. Just as divers use ballast to control their buoyancy, the penguin relies on stronger bones to resist buoyancy. When they need to get out of the water quickly, penguins release air bubbles in their feathers, thereby reducing drag and increasing speed. Their bodies are streamlined and are great for high-speed movement in the water.
4 Penguins Eat Various Types Of Seafood But Can't Chew It
Most penguins feed on what they can catch while swimming and diving. They will eat any sea creature they can catch and swallow: fish, crabs, shrimp, squid, octopuses or krill. Like other birds, penguins do not have teeth and do not chew their food. Instead, they have fleshy, backward-pointing spines in their mouths that help them push their prey down their throats. A medium-sized penguin eats about 1 kg of seafood per day during the summer months.
Krill, small marine, is an especially important part of the diet for young penguin chicks. One long-term study of penguin diets found that breeding success was directly related to how much krill they ate. Penguins feed on krill in the sea and then return to their chicks on land to regurgitate food into their beaks.
5. Penguins are monogamous
Almost all penguin species practice monogamy, meaning the male and female are faithful to each other during the breeding season. Some even remain partners for life. Penguins reach sexual maturity between three and eight years of age. Males usually find good nesting sites before looking for a female.
Both penguin parents care for and feed their chicks. Most species produce two eggs at a time, but emperor penguins ( Aptenodytes forsteri) is the largest of all penguins, raising only one bird per breeding season. The male emperor penguin takes sole responsibility for the preservation of the egg, holding it between the legs and under the folds of fat, while the female goes to the sea for food.
6 Penguins Only Live In The Southern Hemisphere
Habitat of penguins on the world map
Don't go to Alaska if you're looking for penguins. There are 19 described penguin species on the planet, and all but one live below the equator. Despite the common misconception that all penguins live among Antarctic icebergs, this is also not true. Penguins live on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere, including Africa, South America, and Australia. Most inhabit islands where they are not threatened by large predators. The only species that lives north of the equator is the Galapagos penguin ( spheniscus mendiculus), which, as you might guess from the name, lives in the Galapagos Islands.
7. Climate change poses a direct threat to the survival of penguins
Scientists warn that penguins around the world are under threat due to climate change, and some species may soon become extinct. Penguins rely on food sources that are sensitive to changes in ocean temperature and dependent on polar ice. As the planet warms, the sea ice melt season is taking longer, impacting krill populations and penguin habitat.
Five penguin species are already classified as endangered, and most of the remaining species are vulnerable or endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list. African penguin ( Spheniscus demersus) is the most endangered species on this list.
There are 18 types of penguins. In this article, we will consider the main types of penguins with a brief description. And in this article, the life of penguins is described in more detail, since they basically have the same lifestyle and habits. Let's take a look at the salient features below.
The emperor penguin is the largest of the penguins. In height, it can reach up to 140 cm, and weight can exceed 40 kg. Females are slightly smaller than males. Distinguished by orange coloration on the neck and cheeks. Chicks are born with gray or white down. Emperor penguins are able to dive to a depth of about 500 meters. They hunt in groups.
The emperor penguin egg hatches for 70-100 days. First, the female sits on the egg, then the male replaces her. A penguin can sit on an egg for up to 50 days without food. After being replaced by another penguin, the second parent goes to sea to hunt. They live on the mainland Antarctica.
Slightly smaller than the Emperor Penguins are the King Penguins. Their height is approximately 1 meter, and their weight fluctuates around 20 kg. They differ from other penguins in bright orange spots on their cheeks and neck. King penguin chicks have brown down when they are born.
During the mating dance, the male makes loud sounds, raises his head up so that the female sees orange spots, which indicate puberty. When the female is interested in the penguin, they begin to dance together. Their heads go up and down, and then they put their heads on each other's necks. Mating lasts only up to 10 seconds, and the process of dancing and mating is repeated again.
The representative of this species of penguins is quite small. The growth of the penguin reaches only 60 cm, and the body weight is up to 3 kg. This penguin is distinguished by a yellow stripe of feathers above the eyes, as well as protruding black feathers on the head, which create the effect of shaggyness. The penguin's eyes are red. It is divided into southern crested and northern crested penguins.
Medium sized penguin. A distinctive feature is the golden tufts of feathers above the eyes and on the head. At the same time, black feathers do not stick out, only gold ones. The growth of such a penguin is approximately 70-80 cm, and the weight reaches 5-6 kg. Eggs incubate for 35 days. Also, parents replace each other during incubation.
The smallest member of the penguin family. The growth of such penguins is usually up to 40 cm, and weight up to 1.5 kg. It differs in the color of feathers on the back, wings and head - they are dark blue. This species of penguin has become famous for the most faithful relationship between pairs of penguins. Sometimes loyalty lasts a lifetime. Small penguins live in the south of mainland Australia. Being on sandy beaches, they can dig holes. Penguins dive shallowly - only up to 50 meters deep. Eggs incubate for 30-40 days. After 50-60 days, the chicks are ready for independent life.
A representative of this species has a height of 70-80 cm, and a weight of up to 7 kg. Distinguished from other penguins by a yellow stripe around the eyes. The beak and paws are red. Unlike other penguins, they rarely form colonies. A very rare type of penguin. Their number is estimated at only about 4,000 pairs. The species is under threat of extinction. In 2004, for unknown reasons, 50-75% of all hatched chicks died.
It is also a representative of medium-sized penguins. The height is 60-70 cm, and the weight is approximately 7 kg. A distinctive feature of such a penguin is a white ring of feathers around the eyes. Live a little over 10 years. Lives on the continent of Antarctica.
A little close to Adélie penguins. Height is about 60-70 cm, but the weight is less - up to about 5 kg. Distinguished by a white band of feathers on the head that extends from ear to ear. The male also incubates the eggs alternately with the female for about 35 days. It is this type of penguin that is able to move away from the coast into the open sea at distances of up to 1000 km. And they are able to dive to a depth of 200-250 meters.
The gentoo penguin is one of the largest penguin species. Its height reaches up to 90 cm, and its weight can reach 9 kg. Females are smaller than males. Distinguished by a white spot of feathers near the eyes. They hold the record for swimming under water. Able to reach speeds up to 36 km / h! They dive to a depth of 200 meters.
It is a unique representative of the penguin species. And its uniqueness lies in its habitat. This is the only penguin species that lives only a few tens of kilometers from the equator. The air temperature there fluctuates 19-28 degrees Celsius, and the water 22-25 degrees. By themselves, Galapagos penguins are quite small. Their height is up to 50 centimeters, and their weight is up to 2.5 kilograms. A strip of white feathers runs from the neck to the eyes. Unfortunately, this species is endangered. They number only about 2000 adult couples.
Types of penguins video:
These penguins are also called the Donkey Penguin, the African Penguin or the Black-footed Penguin. Makes sounds very similar to the sounds of a donkey. It lives in the south of the African continent. The growth of penguins of this species ranges up to 70 cm, and the weight is approximately 5 kg. A distinctive feature of these penguins is a black narrow stripe on the stomach in the form of a horseshoe. Around the eyes, a pattern similar to glasses.
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Penguins, despite the fact that they belong to the bird family, cannot fly. After all, they spend most of their lives hunting fish and other marine animals underwater. Their legs, located far behind, together with the tail, act as a rudder. And the wings, which had lost their original purpose, became rigid, like strong oars. But what are they covered with in a penguin - wool or feathers? After all, when diving, they deftly direct the body of the bird in the right direction. And they move very fast in the water. They use their wings as fins, flapping them as if they are flying in the air.
Does the penguin have fur or feathers?
The skin of these amazing waterfowl is covered with many black and white feathers. They protect them from predators, such as the leopard seal or killer whale, which, when hunting, are very often unable to distinguish the white color on the penguin's belly from the light surface of the water surrounding it. If, on the contrary, the leopard is looking from an elevation, then it may well confuse the black back of a bird with the darkness of the ocean. Therefore, for their own safety, the penguins must wear these black and white tuxedos. Feathers grow on the entire surface of their body, which distinguishes these birds from other species in which they are located in strictly defined places.
Why are these large birds excellent swimmers?
So, the body of penguins is covered with feathers, between the smooth layers of which there is air, which allows them to stay on the water. It is also protection from the cold. In addition, the body of the birds has the appearance of a torpedo, which makes them excellent swimmers, quickly gaining speed from 6 to 12 kilometers per hour. On land, they use their wings and tail to keep their balance in an upright position.
Young penguins usually do not dive deep and hunt their prey from the surface of the water. Unlike them, adults are able to dive very deep into the waters of the ocean. So, for example, the emperor penguin can dive for 22 minutes to a depth of more than 560 meters. These birds cannot breathe underwater, but they are able to hold their breath for a very long time, especially the emperor penguin. Sometimes they appear above the water surface to take in air, then return back in search of food.
Appearance
Having dealt with the question of what the body of a penguin is covered with - wool or feathers, it is worth mentioning the specific features of these birds. Their feathers are very close to each other, white-black, white-blue or white-gray with rare bright elements in color. At the same time, they do not perform the functions associated with flight, but their thick layer with adipose tissue provides very good insulation from the cold sea water and the harsh climate of Antarctica. Their body length is 40-122 cm and weight is from 1 to 30 kg.
On land, penguins move in small steps, swaying awkwardly from side to side, or glide on their stomachs. This sliding allows them to move very quickly, significantly saving strength. And when they want to move faster or overcome steep cliffs, they jump to a height of up to 5 meters. Short legs serve them for control in the water, and the membrane on them (like ducks) facilitates swimming.
These birds do not have external ears. Their hearing organ is two small holes located in the same place as the human ears. What is the skin of the penguin around them covered with? Also small feathers. Hearing for such waterfowl is as important as for all birds, especially since they track each other through mutual calls.
Why are penguins' fur or feathers not covered with ice? A group of Chinese scientists found that penguin feathers do not freeze due to a special structure. The water just runs off before it can freeze. After a series of experiments, it was proved that liquid drops linger on the body for a very short time. This is largely due to the ability of these birds to regulate their body heat.
Looking at unusual creatures gracefully soaring not in the sky, but among the water element, you involuntarily think: are penguins animals or birds? Even those who are well acquainted with biology and know exactly the answer may have doubts. Since in the water penguins are very similar to dolphins, especially when they jump into the air and dive again during movement, and on land - seals and other similar mammals. In addition, they feed their young with milk.
In order not to get confused, it is better to get to know some of the most amazing creatures of nature closer and look at them from the point of view of science.
Biological description of the species
Penguins (Spheniscidae) are a family of seabirds, the only representatives of the penguin-like order. They do not fly, but they dive and swim well. To date, there are only 18 species in the family, another 40 have become extinct in the process of evolution.
The ancestors of penguins lived in the era of dinosaurs - about 61 million years ago. They were larger than modern "relatives", reaching a height of 1.8 m and weighing 135 kg.
For comparison: today the emperor penguins are considered the largest. Their average height is 1.22 m, and their weight ranges from 22 to 45 kg. The smallest are blue penguins, weighing no more than 1.5 kg at a height of 40 cm.
Almost all types of penguins have a camouflage coloration: a black “tailcoat” and a white shirt-front. On land, such an aristocratic outfit does not help much, but at sea it is indispensable: the dark back merges with the waves, and the light belly, if you look at the bird from below, seems to dissolve in the rays of light penetrating through the water column. Chicks, spending all the time on land, are painted in gray or brown shades and are almost invisible among the stones.
Unique Features
The appearance and proportions of penguins are very different from other birds, so periodically there are doubts about their belonging to the feathered community. These unique creatures not only stand, but also move vertically, which is due to the specific location of the paws - not near the center of gravity, like most flying "relatives", but with a noticeable shift back. A clumsy gait of a penguin is explained by a similar structure, but in the water they maneuver perfectly, moving their folded limbs like a steering wheel.
The wings of feathered divers are more like flippers or fins and perform the same function. Thanks to them, the birds swim quickly, reaching speeds of up to 36 km / h. It is much more difficult to move in water than in air due to the high density of the environment, so the shoulder muscles of penguins are more developed than those of other birds. But the flight feathers necessary for flight are absent.
Analyzing the fossil remains of the Spheniscidae family, scientists came to the conclusion that initially its representatives had full-fledged wings, but in the process of evolution they lost them as unnecessary. The birds did not have natural enemies on land. Body weight increased over time, as happened with ostriches, kiwis or cassowaries.
Feather cover is another important difference between penguins. Outwardly, it resembles wool, which can also confuse people who are far from ornithology. In most birds, feathers grow in patches, covering free places, the so-called apteria. Penguins, on the other hand, have a continuous cover, without "gaps" and a downy base. Small feathers slightly overlap each other, like fish scales, forming a dense, waterproof layer. Instead of fluff, nature endowed the amazing inhabitants of cold latitudes with a thick layer of fat - up to 3 cm. He, moreover, helps to survive the difficult time of molting and incubation of chicks, when adults do not eat at all.
Similarity to marine mammals
There are no birds that can compete with penguins in swimming and diving to great depths. Some species spend two-thirds of their lives in the sea.
According to the adaptability of the body to a long stay in the aquatic environment, penguins can be compared with seals and dolphins.
The streamlined shape of the body is ideal in terms of hydrodynamics. The keel part makes up to 30% of the total mass, in other birds it is several times less.
Short thick feathers, like fur, create a stable air layer that not only warms, but also reduces friction when moving in water, allowing you to occasionally increase speed by 2-3 times. A specific feature is especially pronounced in the Papuan variety.
From time to time, feathered swimmers jump out of the water, flying in an arc of about 2 m, scientists called this “style” dolphin. Most likely, this is done to save energy and allow the muscles to rest in a less dense environment.
In search of food, "sprinters in tailcoats" are able to swim 27 km in a day, a little less than their main enemies - seals. Emperor penguins descend into the deep layers below the 500-meter mark and linger there for 18 minutes. For comparison, dolphins are able to stay at a depth of 200 m for 15 minutes, and the record holder among natural divers - the Weddell seal dives to 600 m and can stay under water for about 1 hour.
On loose snow, representatives of the Spheniscidae family prefer to move on their stomachs so as not to fall through. At this point, they closely resemble seals or other pinnipeds and are the least likely to resemble their true winged relatives.
If other waterfowl use their paws as a “motor” when diving, penguins prefer wings, flapping them like flippers. The seals move about the same way.
Only in penguins, the bones of the skeleton are not hollow inside, which is typical for most birds, but massive, like in marine mammals. They help with diving to great depths, acting in a similar way to a diver's weight belt.
And yet they are birds.
If the penguin's body, due to its unusual vertical position and tiny wings, does not look much like a bird's, then when you look at the head, any doubts disappear. Everything here is “absolutely correct” from the point of view of ornithology. “There is” a powerful beak, like that of representatives of the gull family, the absence of a pronounced structure of the outer ear and eyes located on the sides of the head with a special nictitating membrane, which, when diving, serves as something like diving glasses.
But the main proof of belonging to the bird genus is different. Unlike baby mammals, chicks are born from eggs. Whereas all animals, with the exception of the platypus and echidna, are viviparous. Penguins build nests and lay eggs, like birds, therefore, they have nothing to do with mammals.
Nesting and offspring
Penguin "houses" are small piles of stones, and in warmer areas where there is vegetation - armfuls of grass, some species dig holes. There are no more than 2 eggs in a clutch, their number depends on the age of the couple and living conditions. The younger the parents, the less likely their babies are to fully develop and be born. Therefore, among penguin pairs, cases of theft of other people's eggs are not uncommon. A kind of forced "adoption".
Emperor and king penguins do not build nests at all, but carry the only future heir between their paws under a special “apron” - a large fat fold on their stomach.
While incubating, the parents of some species starve, losing up to half their own weight, while others alternately head to the sea in search of food. It is impossible for both of them to leave at once - the egg will instantly cool down and lose its viability or someone will steal it. Little penguins are born in 1 - 2 months, and not all of them manage to survive even in the first hours of being in an icy wind, at extremely low temperatures.
But natural selection does not end there. Exhausted by long starvation, parents diligently feed only one strong and strong chick, provided that there are two of them in the nest. The youngest of the penguins eventually dies of starvation. The only exceptions are penguin pairs nesting in southern latitudes. They have up to 3 chicks at one time.
Interesting facts that will surprise many
Stereotypical ideas of people about penguins do not always correspond to the truth. Before your eyes, bird silhouettes immediately appear on high multi-meter ice floes, among snow drifts and hurricane winds. But only a few penguin species live in extreme environments. The rest were lucky to “settle down” in comfort, away from ultra-low temperatures or lack of food.
What is the real lifestyle of unusual birds?
The natural range of the Spheniscidae family covers New Zealand, the south of the Australian and African continents, the Galapogos Islands located almost at the equator and the coastal regions of South America up to Peru. Only 4 species of penguins live in Antarctica.
The ancestors of modern polar explorers were accustomed to a temperate climate. They developed adaptation to the Antarctic cold later, when the "southernmost" mainland separated from Gondwana and shifted to the pole. The first representatives of the family lived on the territory of modern Peru, it is here that the most ancient remains of penguins were found.
The “owners of tailcoats” are sharply social creatures with a developed intellect. They create large colonies, including several thousand individuals. Since the neighbors are located close to each other, fights and theft are not uncommon among them. In addition to kidnapping, birds often steal building materials for nests.
Penguins are brought up in a kind of "kindergarten". While the parents are hunting in the sea, the kids gather in large groups and frolic under the supervision of 1 - 2 adults. This avoids many dangers, such as attacks by brown skuas or giant petrels, which specifically settle near penguin colonies to feast on chicks. Returning with prey, parents unmistakably recognize among many penguins their own child and feed exclusively on him.
Barely hatched chicks receive a special food - "bird's milk", which is produced in the stomachs of both males and females. Thick, highly nutritious blend allows you to quickly put on weight and gain strength.
Penguins molt once a year. Small feathers roll into balls and gradually peel off, like wool in mammals. For 20 days, until a new cover grows, you have to starve, since the ability to swim is severely limited.
Diving for their main delicacy - fish, penguins make up to 150 dives a day.
Getting ashore from the depths of the sea, nimble divers are able to jump vertically up to almost 2 m to overcome the high ice barrier.
Incredibly, the best swimmers among birds are very afraid of ... water. Before diving into the sea, they stand on the shore for a long time in indecision, huddling in flocks and trying to imperceptibly push the “neighbor” off the cliff. The fear is explained very simply - coastal waters are full of natural enemies: sea leopards, seals, killer whales and small sharks. Who wants to become food himself when he goes out to dine? So fish lovers stand, sometimes up to half an hour, waiting for a hero to appear who will be the first to step towards danger.
On land, fast swimmers move much more slowly, at a speed of 3 km/h. But they can walk 100 km without stopping, heading from the coastline to nesting sites and back.