20 Completely Mind-Blowing Penguin Facts. #1 Kind Of Sounds Like A Penguin Orgy
by N/A, 10 years ago |
3 min read
|
1107
March of the Penguins didn't teach you everything about these lovable birds!
1. Most species of penguin breed in large colonies of up to one thousand birds.
2. Penguins actually have great hearing.
They use distinct calls to identify their mates.
3. Depending on the species, many penguins will mate with the same partner for many seasons.
4. Female Emperor Penguins might kidnap another chick if theirs dies.
They'll often abandon that one too.
5. Penguin parents raise their chick for several months until they are ready to hunt for their own food.
6. Europeans discovered penguins in 1520.
Antonio Pigafetta spotted them on the first circumnavigation of the Earth with Ferdinand Magellan.
7. But an anonymous diary entry from 1497 mentions flightless birds as large as ducks.
8. Emperor Penguins are the tallest species at four feet.
Little Blue Penguins are the smallest, at 16 inches.
9. Penguins molt all at once.
This is unlike other birds, who shed a few feathers at a time.
10. Emperor penguins incubate an egg on top of their feet and under their belly.
11. Because of this, fat penguins are more desirable mates.
12. Penguins have a special gland to filter out seawater.
13. Penguins are about 60 million years old.
Their ancestors survived the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.
14. Gentoo Penguins are the fastest.
They can swim up to 22 mph.
15. All 17 species of penguin are found in the Southern Hemisphere.
16. Penguins stay in the Southern Hemisphere because there are no land predators.
17. Because they have no land predators, wild penguins aren't really afraid of humans.
18. Most penguins return to the same nesting site every year.
19. Penguins don't rely on blubber to keep warm.
Instead, their feathers trap a layer of warm air next to their skin.
20. Penguins are black and white so they can camouflage.
From above, their black backs blend in with the ocean. From below, their stomachs blend in with the bright sky.
✕
Do not show me this again