Amazing penguin birds seem to many to be very amusing creatures. And indeed, how can one resist tenderness, watching their clubfoot gait? But in fact, evolution adapted them to life in harsh conditions, and these funny birds are doing a great job. Only now the influence of technogenic civilization is gradually destroying their habitat, and soon there may be a threat to their population.
Interesting facts about penguins
- In total, there are 18 species of these birds in the world.
- The first penguins appeared on Earth so long ago that they caught the dinosaurs.
- Up to 30% of the entire penguin mass falls on a very developed musculature of the chest. They need such strong muscles to swim quickly.
- When on land, penguins sit leaning on their short tail. And when swimming, it serves as a rudder for them.
- Unlike all other birds, penguins have dense bones, not hollow ones, and more resemble the bones of mammals (interesting facts about birds).
- Nearly half of all flightless bird species on Earth are penguins. But they are not the largest of their kind – there are also ostriches (interesting facts about ostriches).
- Since killer whales often prey on penguins, these birds do not always risk diving into the water. If one, the bravest, dives and stays alive, the rest of the flock follows him.
- Galapagos penguins living on the islands of the same name live in a warm, even hot climate, and they are not adapted to the cold at all.
- The largest of the penguins, emperors, spend up to 10 months annually in Antarctica.
- Penguin feathers resemble hairs or hairs.
- During the molt, these birds cannot swim , and therefore starve until the feathers grow back if they are not fed by relatives.
- Penguins are the only birds in the world that can swim without being able to fly.
- Of all birds, only penguins walk standing up like people.
- Penguins huddle together to keep warm. In the center of this gathering, the temperature can be 40-45 degrees higher than outside, and the birds constantly change places to keep everyone warm.
- In order not to fall into the snow, penguins lie on their stomachs and glide like skiers, pushing off with their wings. Moreover, they can move in this way quite quickly.
- Penguin paws do not feel cold due to the fact that there are very few nerve endings in them.
- They are able to survive at temperatures up to -60 degrees. Such cold can quickly kill most other living creatures.
- Emperor penguins are monogamous, they form pairs for life.
- A case was recorded when, after a group of exploration geologists stole a penguin egg, the whole flock began to pursue them, without trying, however, to attack them. After conferring, the kidnappers returned the egg to the birds, and they fell behind.
- The swimming speed of penguins reaches 30-35 km/h.
- Usually, these birds search for prey in surface waters, but if necessary, they can dive to a depth of 100-200 meters. And emperor penguins – up to 500 meters.
- Most penguins are quite indifferent to everything around them, unless they are in danger. But stone penguins have a rather angry disposition, and they are often the first to attack any uninvited guest.
- The layer of fat in penguins living in cold lands reaches 2-3 cm in thickness.
- They often lose weight and get fat. So, emperor penguins hunt 2-3 times a month, overeating to satiety. By the next hunt, they can lose 30-40 percent of their weight.
- Litter of gentoo penguins is pink.
- The weight of small penguins is only 1-2.5 kg, and growth usually does not exceed 30-40 cm.
- Penguins have a flat cornea, which allows them to see perfectly underwater, but on land they are short-sighted because of this (interesting facts about the eyes).
- For more successful diving to greater depths, penguins swallow stones.
- They can stay under water for up to 25-30 minutes.
- The eggs are incubated by the males of these birds, and not by the females, who are hunting at this time.
- The walking speed of the penguins on land does not exceed 2-3 km/h, but if necessary, they are able to pass a hundred kilometers without stopping to rest.
- Patagonian penguins can swim for several weeks in a row, covering a distance of several thousand kilometers.
- All except emperor penguins build nests.
- They do not require fresh water to drink. Penguins easily manage with sea water, and excess salt is excreted from their bodies with the help of special glands.
- Of all the penguin species in the world, the golden-haired are the most. Now there are about 20 million of them on Earth.
- The magnificent penguins living in New Zealand are the only ones that spend most of their lives on land.
- The number of penguin colonies can reach 10-20 thousand individuals.
- Female penguins sometimes kidnap other people’s cubs if their own dies.
- These birds easily recognize each other by their voice.
- Most penguins are not afraid of people, as they are used to the fact that danger can only lie in wait for them in the water.
- Unlike most other birds, penguins are not sexually dimorphic, and it is very difficult to visually distinguish females from males.
- The ancestors of modern penguins lived in a different geological era, when Antarctica was not yet at the pole and the climate was quite warm. Millions of years passed, Antarctica moved to the South Pole, and most of the local animals either migrated or died out. But the penguins stayed and adapted.
- During the mating period, individual penguin colonies huddle into one, and up to 5 million of these birds can be found in one place.