Penguins are the indigenous inhabitants of Antarctica. Penguin is a bird or an animal

The penguin is the only bird that can swim but cannot fly. In addition, it is the only bird that walks standing up. In this thread, I will tell you about these amazing creatures. Penguins are wingless waterfowl that live in their natural environment only in the lands of the southern hemisphere. Most penguins spend half their lives in the ocean and the other half on land. Basically, most penguin species live in Antarctica and in some of the other coldest areas of the hemisphere. Some rare species can survive in temperate and even tropical latitudes. In general, penguins are designed to live in the sea. Some species spend as much as 75% of their lives in the water, only getting out to land to lay their eggs and wait for their offspring. The heavy, hard bones act like a heavy diver's belt in the water, allowing the penguins to stay underwater. Their wings, shaped like flippers, help them "steer" underwater at speeds up to 15 miles per hour. A streamlined body, paddle-like legs, an insulating layer of fat and waterproof feathers all contribute to their efficient and comfortable stay under water. They also have a remarkable ability to dive deep (this will be discussed below). In addition, in order not to lose heat, penguins have hard, very compact feathers (up to 70 cm2) that provide waterproofing.

Penguins cover their feathers with fat from a gland near the tail to increase impermeability. The black and white coloration makes them almost invisible to predators from both above and below. Like most birds, penguins have little or no sense of smell (good for them in their crowded colonies). Like other birds, penguins have limited taste buds. It is believed that their eyesight is better when they are underwater. Scientists suspect that penguins may be nearsighted on land. Penguins are considered by scientists to be the most social birds. Colonies can contain thousands of individuals. (As many as 24 million penguins visit Antarctica!) Even at sea, they tend to swim and feed in groups. Most penguin species build nests, but nests may only consist of piles of rocks, scrapings, or voids in mud. Emperor penguins do not build nests; they keep the egg between their legs under a loose fold of skin called a brood pocket.

The entire body of the penguin is covered with small scaly feathers, most of which consist of rods alone, without fans. The head of some species is decorated with tufts of long, bristle-like feathers, while others have long tail feathers. The head is small, the beak is as long as the head, straight, strong, hard, laterally compressed; the neck is of medium length, passes into an almost cone-shaped torso; legs are short, almost entirely enclosed in the skin of the body, as a result of which they allow only short steps; fingers are strongly developed, all four are directed forward, but only three of them are connected by a membrane. On the ground, the bird is held vertically, leaning on the back surface of the metatarsus, but when walking, the latter stands almost vertically. Penguins walk with great difficulty, waddling; wanting to avoid danger, lie on their belly and glide with the help of wings and legs so quickly that it is difficult to catch up with them, especially on a snow-covered surface. Penguins swim and dive excellently and with amazing ease overcome the stormy waves of the open ocean - their real sphere. Unlike other birds, penguins swim with the help of wings alone, putting them into action one by one; the legs serve solely as a rudder and are extended straight back. The food of penguins consists of fish, crustaceans and soft-bodied. Penguins devote a significant part of the year to breeding, and at this time, tens and hundreds of thousands gather on the most secluded islands of the Antarctic Ocean. At this time, even non-hatching birds live on land. They nest, as they live in general - in societies. They lay two white or greenish-white eggs, which are watched in turn by both parents, since penguins have a highly developed habit of stealing other people's eggs. This explains the frequent fact of finding chicks of different species in one nest. The chicks hatch densely covered with down and grow up quickly, thanks to the extremely abundant food continuously supplied by their parents. By the end of hatching, the plumage of the latter is frayed to the last limits and they begin to molt, often retiring to secluded corners for this. Molting, judging by observations in captivity, is very fast, ending in two weeks. At the same time, penguins do not go into the water and, therefore, do not eat, which, obviously, is easily tolerated by them, thanks to a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.
Penguin meat is very tasteless. The northernmost boundary of the distribution of penguins passes in the Atlantic Ocean through the island of Tristan d "Acuña, in the Indian Ocean through the island of Amsterdam, and in the Pacific through the Galapagos Islands; they are also found near the coast of New Zealand, South Australia, the southern tip of Africa and along the Pacific coast of South America. This family can be divided into three groups, well characterized not only by external, but also by anatomical features. The first embraces forms that have a large size, a long, thin, slightly curved beak and contains the genera Aptenodytes and Pygoscelis. it includes the Patagonian penguin (A. patagonica) and the long-billed penguin (A. longirostris).The second group - the genus Eudyptes - has a shorter but taller beak and is easily recognized by the beautiful yellow superciliary tufts of feathers. It includes the golden-haired penguin (E. chrysocome ) In the third group, the beak is very short, strongly compressed from the sides, the upper jaw is hooked, the lower one is cut straight; there is no crest. n Cape (Spheniscus demersus) from South Africa, Spheniscus minor from Australia and the northernmost of all species - Spheniscus mendiculus from the Galapagos Islands. Fossil remains of penguins are not numerous, but a large form of P. (Palaeeudyptes antarcticus) is known from the Upper Eocene layers of New Zealand, proving the antiquity of this group of birds.

Types of penguins:

The African penguin, Spheniscus demersus, is also called the Blackfoot penguin. This penguin was found off the coast of South Africa. African penguins can swim at a speed of approximately 4.3 to 15 miles per hour (7-24 km/h), and they make sounds similar to donkeys. The number of African (donkey) penguins has declined so much that it is time to take urgent action. Last year in South Africa there were only 26 thousand pairs of penguins compared to 121 thousand in 1956, and at the beginning of the last century the population of these birds reached two million individuals. Scientists are calling for urgent action - the only way to stop further decline in the population. In addition, experts must establish what causes such a sharp decline in the number of penguins. According to Peter Barham, representing the University of Bristol (UK), the main factor here may be the reduction of food resources. In particular, it is highly likely that overfishing of sardine and anchovy or the movement of fish to other areas due to global warming has led to this. It is also possible that the penguins simply weakened under the influence of environmental pollution, which affected their ability to get food. Other negative factors cited are penguin-hunting fur seals, oil spills, and a reduction in cool breeding grounds in colonies due to climate change.

Penguins of the Falklands

The Magellanic Penguin is a summer islander (estimated at 100,000 pairs) who arrives to breed in the islands in September. These penguins nest in burrows dug to a depth of 4 to 6 feet. The local nickname "donkey" is derived from its loud and harsh call, often uttered at the entrance to the hole, and also used to receive news from birds swimming in the sea at some distance from the coast. This species feeds on small crustaceans, small fish and smaller varieties of squid than those caught by man for sale. However, their diet can still be a source of potential conflict with commercial fisheries and other maritime operations. Magellan penguins leave their nests in April, apparently going to winter in the waters of the Patagonian shelf or possibly migrating far north to Brazil. Here they face problems such as poaching and oil pollution. An estimated 20,000 adults and 22,000 teenagers die along the Argentine coast each year. Studies in the Falkland Islands have recently shown a 10% decline in Magellanic penguin populations each year, but since the species is well-hidden in their colonies, it is difficult to estimate their numbers. The Falkland Islands are one of the world's most important breeding grounds for birds, and given the problems faced by this species in Chile and Argentina, the survival of healthy populations of the Falkland Islands may be surprisingly important to the survival of the species in general.

The Galapagos penguin is unique among other penguins in that its habitat is not the Antarctic and subantarctic regions, not even temperate, but the Galapagos Islands located just a few tens of kilometers from the equator. The air temperature in the habitats ranges from + 18- + 28 ° С, water - + 22- + 24 ° С. About 90% of penguins live on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela. Adults reach a height of about 50 cm and a weight of about 2.5 kg. The main diet is small fish, crustaceans. The Galapagos penguins have a black head and back, there is a white stripe running from the throat up to the head and reaching the eyes, in front the penguins are white. The mandible and the tip of the mandible are black, the mandible and the skin around the eyes are pinkish-yellow. Birds usually incubate eggs for 38-40 days, male and female alternately. At the age of 60-65 days, the chicks go to sea with adults. Galapagos penguins nest near the water. The number of individuals is estimated at 1500-2000 adult birds. The Galapagos PENGUIN species is listed in the International Red Book.

The penguin is magnificent. The magnificent penguin is also called yellow-eyed. It belongs to the penguin family. Also known as Antipodes Penguin and Hoiho.

The emperor penguin is the largest penguin species. If he just stands on land hunched over, then his height will be equal to 90 centimeters. If he moves, then his height is as much as 110-120 centimeters. The weight of this penguin reaches 20-45 kilograms. Emperor penguins have the following differences in color: the dorsal side is dark or grayish-blue, on the head this color usually turns black. There are round yellowish-orange patches near the ears, which fade into the underside of the neck, and which gradually fade to white. When an emperor penguin is born. Its body is covered with white or grayish-white fluff. Emperor penguins nest along the coasts of Antarctica, as far south as 78 degrees south latitude. The nesting of emperor penguins, unlike the others, falls on a very severe time of the year - in the Antarctic winter, and already at the end of the Antarctic summer, the first emperor penguins are born. Usually at first they do not behave very actively, they stoop. They lead a passive lifestyle, but then the situation changes, and already in April penguin pairs begin to form.

golden haired penguin(lat.Eudyptes crysolophus) - a genus of crested penguins. Characteristic. Having, as is typical of all penguins, a dark dorsal side with an almost black head and a white belly, they are distinguished by the presence of tufts of golden yellow feathers above the eyes, forming a crest. The body length of golden-haired penguins is 65-76 cm. Golden-haired penguins are distributed throughout the southern part of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Golden-haired penguins nest on South Georgia, South Shetland, South Orkney and some other subantarctic islands. Their colonies are very numerous - up to 600 thousand nesting individuals. In general, there are at least 2 million adult golden-haired penguins on the coasts and in the valleys of Macquarie Island alone. Golden-haired penguins nest on the ground, arranging very primitive nests. 2 eggs are laid, the second four days after the first. Both eggs are fertilized, but the first is always smaller than the second, and usually the bird does not incubate it. The duration of incubation is 35 days, with changes of parents characteristic of penguins. Adult birds raise chicks for about two to three weeks, after which "nurseries" are formed, followed by molting and leaving for the sea around the end of January. A specific feature of golden-haired penguin colonies is a strong smell, reminiscent of the smell of rotten fish, which can be felt several kilometers from the colony. The GOLDEN-HAIRED PENGUIN species is listed in the International Red Book.

Penguin Humboldt. This species of penguins is found only along the western coast of South America, in the zone of influence of the Peruvian Current (Fork Island). A separate colony of these penguins exists on the Punihuil Islands. In total, about 12,000 pairs of individuals of this species remain in the world. 8 of them nest in Chile, 4 in Peru. The Humboldt penguin is listed in the Red Book as one of the endangered species. Due to the fact that now there is overfishing, the number of this population is significantly reduced. Also, the fact that some of the birds simply get entangled in fishing nets and die there also contributes to a decrease in the population. The size of a Humboldt penguin is approximately 70 centimeters. Its weight is about 4 kilograms. The Humboldt Penguin is very similar to the Magellanic Penguin. The coloration of female Humboldt penguins is similar to that of males, but the females are slightly smaller than the males. Penguins of this species lay their eggs from March to December. Depending on where the colony is located, the peak can be either April-May or September-October. The situation is quite possible. When Humboldt penguins raise two broods at once a year, if environmental conditions favor it.

king penguin(lat. Aptenodytes patagonicus) is a flightless bird from the penguin family (Spheniscidae). The king penguin is similar to the emperor penguin, but is slightly smaller in size and brighter in color. The body length of the king penguin is from 91 to 96 cm. Adult birds have a gray back, large bright orange spots on the sides of the black head and on the chest. The belly is white. Brown chicks. Spreading. The king penguin breeds on islands near Tierra del Fuego: South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, Marion, Crozier, Kerguelen (island), Heard, Macquarie.

The penguin can be considered an animal of the highest degree unusual and mysterious, so it is not surprising that it attracts the attention of many people. So the penguin can be found in many literary works, including Gorky and Semenov-Spassky. Several animated films were also shot, for example, "The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin" and "Catch the Wave!", because the penguins enjoyed special attention from children. Other interesting facts include the existence of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, which plays in the strongest hockey league on the planet, as well as the fact that the penguin is one of the official symbols of the Linux company.

Interesting Penguin Facts:
All penguins live in the southern hemisphere, sometimes climbing far north (to the Galapagos Islands, almost at the equator) or to densely populated cities (North Harbor area in Sydney, Australia). Cody's homeland is Shiverpool in Antarctica, but he is happy to live on the tropical island of Peng Gu.

Penguins can stand upright because their webbed feet are located at the very end of their torso. This also makes them such fast and strong swimmers, especially when combined with paddle-shaped wings. This is how Cody manages to catch up with Mikey the whale and get a ticket to the Big Z Tournament.

King penguins like Jick are very good divers. In search of fish and other food, they constantly dive to a depth of 100 meters, and sometimes even 200 meters. However, Jik is lazy and would rather wait until Lani brings him edible clams.

Cody belongs to a rocky penguin species with a fiery temperament and long yellow feathers near the eyes. They are full of energy and often jump over rocks - that's how they got their name!

Papuan penguins, to which Lani belongs, swim faster than all other penguins, sometimes reaching speeds of 36 km / h. Such speed helps Lani to be an excellent rescuer.

King penguin chicks, like Cathy and Chumaz, hatch naked from their eggs and grow feathers over the course of a few weeks. A chick cannot live without its parents until it grows waterproof feathers, which can happen up to 13 months after it is born.

Can swim, but cannot fly. The penguin is the only bird that can swim but cannot fly. In addition, it is the only bird that walks standing up.

In penguins, feathers grow evenly. Only in a few birds do feathers grow evenly throughout the body; usually flightless species such as penguins.

Which feet to walk on water? Birds walking in shallow water, such as herons and stilts, are characterized by long legs. Birds that walk on carpets of floating leaves and bogs are characterized by long fingers and claws so as not to fall through. Penguins have short and thick legs located far behind the center of gravity. For this reason, they can only walk with their bodies upright, in short steps. If it is necessary to move faster, they lie on their belly and glide like on a sleigh, pushing off the snow with flipper wings and legs.

The best diver What do penguins do at a depth of one and a half kilometers? Japanese biologists have installed cameras on the backs of animals that spend a long time in the depths of the sea. As the authors of the project explain, the sun's rays penetrate only 150 meters deep into the ocean, so it is still unknown what they are doing at a depth of half a kilometer, for example, emperor penguins or seals, which can dive one and a half kilometers.

Can swim for three weeks. The Patagonian penguin can swim for two to three weeks and cover a distance of up to 1500 km.

The fastest swimmer. The gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) can swim at speeds up to 27 km/h.

They dive from the surface of the water. Penguins, loons Gavia immer, grebes, diving ducks Clangula hyemalis and many other birds dive from the surface of the water. Lacking the momentum of dive divers, they use the movements of their legs and/or wings to dive. In such species, the legs are usually located at the rear end of the body, like a propeller under the stern of a ship. When diving, they can reduce buoyancy by pressing the feathers tightly and squeezing the air sacs.

The most evil penguin. Stone penguins are very angry, noisy and aggressive.

Are penguins birds or animals? Familiar question, right? And this is understandable. Each of us either asked this question in childhood, or heard it from our children. Admittedly, not everyone knows the answer. So who are they, these amazing and important handsome penguins? Are these birds? Or animals? Or maybe it's fish?

A bit of history

For the first time, Europeans noticed these amazing creatures in 1499. One of the companions of the famous Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama left a note describing strange birds that looked something like geese, “with a cry reminiscent of the cries of donkeys ... They could not fly ..." Probably, they were also tormented by the question: "Are penguins birds or animals?"

12 years later, a similar record was made by a member of the Magellan expedition, the Italian Antonio Pigafetta. He wrote: “Strange geese, holding upright, unable to fly, very fat ...” Actually, thanks to their fatness, the birds got their first name. The fact is that “pigvis” in Latin means “fat”. The scientific name "spheniscus demersus" (translated as "a small wedge immersed in water") was given to the birds much later - in 1758. The new name became a short description that emphasized both the shape of the birds and their way of life.

If we talk about the very first acquaintance of penguins with people, then it probably took place in Australia. It turns out that bones of these birds were found during archaeological excavations at ancient sites. Scientists suggest that penguin meat was in the diet

Short description

And yet ... Are penguins birds or animals? Any encyclopedia gives a clear answer to this question. Spheniscidae- a family of sea flightless, but good swimming and diving birds.

The only representatives of the penguin order. The family contains 20 subspecies. The body of penguins is streamlined, adapted for movement in the water. Thanks to the musculature and structure of the bones, these birds are excellent swimmers, while the role of propellers that increase speed is performed by the wings. The sternum has well-developed musculature, accounting for about a quarter of the total weight, and a well-defined keel. quite short, the knee joints are motionless, the paws are shifted back (the reason for such a strange and funny gait). The feet are large, short, with swimming membranes. The tail is very short, it serves as a support on land. The “steering wheel” when swimming is primarily paws. The color of the penguins is characteristic: a black "coat" and a white tummy.

Why can't a penguin be called a fish?

This is another frequently asked question: “Is the penguin a bird or a fish?” For some, the question will seem ridiculous, but since it takes place, let's try to figure it out. Indeed, if the penguin feels great underwater, why not call him a fish? Firstly, because in this environment he only hunts. But the penguin lives on land. In the same place he hatches eggs (he does not spawn like fish), brings up offspring. Another important difference is the presence of feathers (very small, tight-fitting, evenly distributed over a thick fatty layer). In addition, penguins are warm-blooded. True, they have their own heat transfer system, special and in a sense unique. Her "motor" is in the wings and paws. entering them, gives off heat to the venous (colder), and that, in turn, flows to the body (back). Heat loss is thus kept to a minimum.

Food

The basis of the penguin menu is Antarctic silverfish, anchovies, sardines and crustaceans. They eat part of it right under water, the rest - on land. Species that feed mainly on crustaceans have to expend much more energy on prey. To replenish energy costs for one dive alone, they must catch about two dozen crustaceans. It is much easier for penguins that feed mainly on fish - one successful dive out of ten is enough for them. The duration of the hunt for each species is different and largely depends on the season. For example, they can do more than 800 dives. But during the period of molting and waiting for offspring, birds have to refuse food altogether. During this time, about half of the mass is lost. Penguins drink mostly sea water. Special glands located near the eyes remove excess salt.

reproduction

Why can't the statement that the penguin is an animal be true? Evidence that this is a bird has already been cited. As a new argument, let's consider the process of reproduction. Let's start with the fact that penguins are not viviparous, they incubate eggs, like all birds. They nest in colonies, tens of thousands of pairs. Both parents, who periodically replace each other, are responsible for incubating the eggs and feeding the babies.

The statement that the penguin is a mammal refutes the method of feeding. The chicks do not feed on milk, but on semi-digested fish and crustaceans, which the parents burp. Babies “dive” into the lower folds of the abdomen in order to hide from the cold, and not for the sake of a portion of milk, as some believe.

The onset of sexual maturity depends on the sex and species of birds. In some, mating is possible at two years (small, subantarctic), in others - a year later (antarctic, imperial, royal), in others - only after five years (golden-haired).

Despite the variety of penguin species, they all have a similar structure and habits. These are excellent swimmers, endowed with a streamlined body for movement under water. Because of what, there is even an opinion that the ancestors of these indigenous inhabitants of Antarctica are fish. And on land, most of them spend only half of their lives, the other - in the ocean. However, a number of characteristics leave no doubt that penguins belong to the class of birds. Let's talk in more detail about these signs, as well as about the features of subspecies.

The penguin family (Latin sphenissidae) belongs to the penguin-like order and is mostly concentrated in the Antarctic region, as well as in nearby island territories. However, the diversity of species here is small: the Antarctic is inhabited by the emperor, gentoo (sub-Antarctic), Antarctic and, most numerous, the Adélie penguin. Some species live closer to the north and even near the equator, but they settle only in places of cold currents.

Other notable varieties of penguins:

• small or blue;
• royal;
• magnificent (yellow-eyed);
• golden-haired;
• Galapagos;
• Magellanic penguin;
• northern crested.

The remains of their ancestors have been found in Peru and New Zealand. There is a possibility that ancient penguins could fly. What do the found bones of their wings say. They are flatter and more extended than those of modern representatives, whose wings in the process of evolution began to resemble flippers and are not adapted for flight.

Is the penguin a bird or a mammal?

The body of the penguin is covered with a special plumage resembling wool. Small feathers end with a hard rod tip and densely cover the skin according to the principle of scales. Together with grease from special glands, this provides the body with excellent water resistance and thermal insulation.

In addition, penguins have a unique blood supply system: in the flippers and legs, arterial blood gives off heat to venous blood, which returns it back to the body. This helps even in harsh climatic conditions to maintain the temperature at 38 degrees.

The tail consists of longer and stiffer feathers, providing a secure support. The beak is strong, long and sharp. All this, plus the fact that penguins lay eggs like all birds, leaves no doubt that they are neither fish nor mammals.

How are they different from other birds?

Unlike other waterfowl, penguins do not control their legs underwater and keep them straight. The main work is carried out by the wings, which move in the shoulder joint according to the screw principle. The legs are short, webbed, mostly hidden in the skin of the body. They are noticeably shifted back, compared to the paws of other birds, which is why the penguins walk strictly vertically, keeping their balance.

The bones of the skeleton do not contain cavities and are more similar in density to the bones of mammals. The muscles of the wings and the pectoral keel are much better developed than in other birds. Most species have a black or dark gray back and a white belly. In body shape and color, penguins look like auks. There is a version according to which their ancestors are relatives of the wingless auk, which completely died out in the 19th century.

Other Penguin Features

On land, they move rather clumsily, shifting from foot to foot. This method helps to save energy. If necessary, they lie on their stomach and, pushing off, quickly glide over the surface, accelerating to a speed of 6 km / h. While swimming, in order to overcome the resistance of strong currents, they sometimes jump out of the water like dolphins.

The subcutaneous fat reserve with a layer of 2-3 cm allows the penguin to endure cold and periods of hunger. As, for example, during the molting period, when, due to a violation of the waterproof cover, the birds are forced to remain on land, unable to get their own food. At this time, they lose a significant part of the weight.

Penguins live on average 15-20 years.

Who is hunted and who is feared

Now let's talk about what penguins eat. The diet includes those who inhabit the ocean waters:

• various types of fish;
• shellfish;
• squid;
• octopuses;
• crustaceans.

Birds eat the smallest of them right in the water, sucking them up with their beaks. They drink salty ocean water, even having fresh sources. Excess salt is excreted through the supraocular glands.

The penguins themselves become food for larger predators: sharks, killer whales, leopard seals, fur seals and sea lions. Seagulls also bring a lot of troubles, destroying nests and attacking small chicks.

Due to the fact that most of the enemies are in the water, waiting for their victims in shallow water, before diving, penguins often do not dare to enter the ocean for a long time, shifting in groups on the spot. After the most daring one dives, the others follow suit. This phenomenon is called the "penguin effect".

Time for nesting

Different types of penguins nest in different months. For example, the emperor penguin lays eggs in the fall, and the chicks that grow up in the winter learn to survive and adapt in harsh conditions. Species inhabiting warmer, northern regions can incubate eggs year-round. Under favorable conditions, the little penguin manages to make two clutches per season, and the inhabitants of the Antarctic and subantarctic regions breed offspring in the spring.

In representatives of the subantarctic and small species, puberty occurs at two years, in the imperial and royal - at three, in the golden-haired - after five. During the mating season, penguins gather in thousands of colonies on isolated islands.

Pairing

Males and females attract each other with peculiar sounds, similar to the sounds of a rattle or trumpet. The resulting pair performs a ritual dance followed by mating. Depending on habitat conditions, mating takes place either in the cramped conditions of a large colony, or in secluded places hidden by vegetation.

The clutch usually contains one or two white or grayish eggs. For incubation, birds build nests of stones or adapt voids in frozen mud and rocks for this. The imperial species does not build nests, carrying the egg in a special brood pocket - a skin fold between the legs. In some species, parents take turns incubating the nest, keeping warm and protecting the cub from fellow tribesmen: penguins have a habit of stealing other people's eggs.

From family to kindergarten

Cubs are born densely pubescent, brown or gray. They grow quickly due to abundant food and often look fatter than their parents.

Some species of penguins form "nurseries" - groups of growing cubs, which are looked after by adults, as a rule, left without offspring. Parents bring their food there, distinguishing their children by the sound of their voices. Deprived of care and being forced to get food on their own, chicks usually lose up to half their weight. Until the first molt, until the fluff is replaced by a waterproof cover, they do not dive into the water, remaining on land.

Not every nesting ends in success - the egg is under the threat of attack by predators, and in young pairs, the chicks do not hatch at all.

Features of some types

The largest and heaviest representative is the emperor penguin. Its body weight reaches 45 kg, and its size is 1.3 m in length. Individuals of this species are able to stay under water for about 18 minutes, while others make dives lasting, on average, 2 minutes.

The smallest penguin is small or blue, its height does not exceed 35 cm, and an adult weighs 1.5 kg. During the hatching period, chinstrap penguins make over 150 dives, and emperors do this about 900 times. Plankton-eating species need regular, abundant food, while fish-finding species can easily survive 9 out of 10 unsuccessful hunting attempts.

Endangered Species

The king penguin, the second largest after the emperor, was endangered due to extermination by sailors. But thanks to protective measures, the population has been completely restored. This species inhabits the islands of South Georgia, Crozet, Macquarie, Kerguelen. The color of the back is dark gray, with bright orange spots on the sides of the head, on the beak and in the throat area. Listed below are species that continue to decline in numbers.

The Galapagos penguin is unusual in that it lives around the equator. The length of his body ranges from 50 cm, weight reaches only 2.5 kg. The chest and belly are white with black spots. Due to the El Niño phenomenon (temperature changes in the surface water layer of the equatorial Pacific Ocean that affect climate), as well as due to human invasion, the number has declined sharply.

Magellan is painted in the "traditional" black and white color, a white stripe crosses the neck, rounding over the eyes to the beak, like all spectacled penguins. Body length 70-80 cm, weight about 5 kg. It feeds exclusively on fish. Settles on the shores of Patagonia and South America, Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands.

Subantarctic or Papuan is the third largest after the royal, maximum height 90 cm, body weight 7.5-9 kg. The color is black and white, a bright red beak is characteristic. Under water breaks records, accelerating up to 36 km / h. Inhabits subantarctic islands.

Magnificent or yellow-eyed is distinguished by a golden-yellow color of the head with a bordering stripe, and the same iris of the eyes. The beak and paws are pink. Body length about 70-75 cm, weight 6-7 kg. It lives on the islands of the Pacific Ocean with a temperate climate.

The northern crested is distinguished by bright red eyes and yellow stripes of eyebrows that expand into tufts sticking out on both sides. The body is black and white. Length 55 cm, weight - 3 kg. Named "rock climber" for his love of jumping off cliffs. It lives on the islands of the South Atlantic Ocean.

Relationship with a person

Modern man practically does not eat penguin meat. Mainly because of the specific smell. But in some regions, their valuable fat and eggs are hunted, which causes significant damage to the number of species.

Employees of polar stations who have been in contact with penguins note that they are not afraid of people and behave as if they take them for their relatives. Due to the characteristics of the body, penguins cannot rise on their own if they fall. Therefore, people work at the stations, whose duty it is to help the birds to rise.

Penguins have a fairly high intelligence, which is manifested in unusual habits. For example, wanting to distract a predator, they can push a fellow tribesman into the water, sacrificing him.

These birds are one of the most ancient inhabitants of the planet, presumably being contemporaries of dinosaurs.

The penguin is the only bird that walks standing up.

To keep warm, emperor penguins gather closer to each other, periodically mixing from the edge to the center so that everyone gets warm.

In order to dive to a depth of about 500 m, the king penguin swallows small stones.

However, these amazing birds are not only the indigenous inhabitants of Antarctica, since penguins also live, for example, in ... Africa (yes, such a paradox), but only in its southernmost part, on the territory of South Africa (South Africa). These flightless birds with interesting habits and unusual appearance have long been the object of study by many zoologists, the heroes of children's cartoons (such as Madagascar). The word “penguin” itself, according to one version, is of Welsh origin and comes from the words “pen” - head and “gwyn” - white, as the wingless great auk, which is extinct today, was originally called, which was very similar to penguins, and this name subsequently passed to them. According to another version, the name "penguin" comes from the English "pinwing", which means wing pin. And finally, according to the third version, the name of the penguins is of Latin origin, since in Latin the word "pinguis" means "fat".

Penguin: description, structure, characteristics. What does a penguin look like?

Without exception, all penguins are first-class swimmers, and they also know how to dive well. But they, unfortunately, do not know how to fly from the word at all. Yes, and on the ground they move very clumsily due to the peculiarities of the structure of their body.

The body of the penguin has a streamlined shape and developed muscles of the pectoral keel, which sometimes makes up a quarter of the total mass of this bird. Also, the body of penguins is usually quite well-fed (here we recall the Latin name of this bird) and covered with feathers on the sides.

The penguin's head is not very large, however, it is located on a mobile, flexible and short neck and has a powerful and sharp beak.

Why does a penguin need wings if it can't fly? Such a logical question may arise, and we will answer it, the fact is that the wings of the penguin in the process of evolution were transformed into flippers, which rotate in the shoulder joint according to the screw principle during swimming, all this turns the penguin into an excellent swimmer.

The legs of the penguin are short and thick at the same time, each leg has 4 toes connected by swimming membranes. The actual structure of the legs leads to the fact that the penguins move so funny and awkwardly, they are designed in such a way that they have to keep their body always strictly vertical to the surface of the earth.

Penguins also have a short tail, consisting of 16-20 feathers, it helps them maintain balance and, if necessary, they can even lean on it like a stand.

The skeleton of a penguin, unlike other birds, does not consist of hollow tubular bones; the bones of a penguin are more like the bones of mammals. The severe Antarctic cold helps penguins to endure a warming supply of fat, which has a layer of 2-3 centimeters.

The plumage of penguins is thick and dense, the body of the bird is covered with feathers like tiles, they also protect them from getting wet in cold water. The color of the feathers and the penguins themselves is the same for all - a dark back and a white belly.

About once a year, penguins molt, old feathers fall out, and new ones grow in their place. During this period, the penguins are exclusively on land, where they try to hide as much as possible from gusts of wind and generally cold weather.

The size of penguins varies depending on their species, so the largest, the emperor penguin, has a length of 117-130 cm and up to 40 kg of weight. The little penguin reaches only 40 cm in length and weighs an average of about 1 kg.

Where do penguins live

Under natural conditions, penguins live in the southern hemisphere of our planet, most of all preferring cold Antarctica. But in addition to this icy continent, they also live in the south of South America, the south of Australia and New Zealand, as well as in South Africa. True, it is worth noting that everyone, including African penguins, settle exclusively in places where cold ocean currents are present.

How long do penguins live

Under natural conditions, the life expectancy of a penguin is 15-25 years. In zoos, under ideal conditions, these birds can live up to 30 years.

What do penguins eat

Penguins are omnivorous birds, so their diet includes various marine fish, crayfish, plankton, medium-sized mollusks. A small or squid can also become food for a penguin. Penguins get their prey in the water, because it is not for nothing that they are excellent swimmers. During the hunt, the penguin can make up to 900 dives, the speed of the penguin in the water can reach up to 10 km per hour. The beak of a penguin during sea hunting works on the principle of a pump, it sucks in all medium-sized prey along with water.

Penguin Enemies

In turn, penguins can become the prey of other larger marine predators: sharks, killer whales, fur seals, leopard seals and sea lions. Seagulls are also natural enemies of penguins, as they often peck at their eggs. Little penguin chicks are desirable prey for skuas.

penguin lifestyle

The most interesting feature regarding the lifestyle of these birds is the fact that matriarchy dominates in penguin society. It is the female penguins who choose the males they like, care for them, achieve their recognition, then the males, in turn, incubate the eggs, while the females get food. In general, the role of relations between the sexes in penguins is diametrically opposed to many other representatives of the animal world.

Penguins are collective creatures and live not just in families or flocks, but form entire bird colonies that can reach up to a million individuals. And on the island of Zavadovsky, located in the South Atlantic, the world's largest colony of the Antarctic penguin is known, according to approximate estimates, about 10 million of these birds live there.

Penguins love to be in the company of their own kind, but during the mating season for procreation, the male and the female leave the society of their relatives for a while, and return back with a newborn baby, but we will write about this in more detail below.

Types of penguins, photos and names

According to the modern classification, there are 6 genera and 19 species of penguins in the world, we will describe the most interesting of them.

This representative of the penguin kingdom is the most majestic (the name is not in vain) and the largest: the weight of the emperor penguin reaches 40 kg with a height of up to 115 cm. Emperor penguins live exclusively on the coast of Antarctica. (By the way, we have an interesting article about them on our website - “- eternal exiles in the ice”, follow the link).

It is very similar to its imperial relative, but somewhat inferior to it in size: its height, on average, is 90-100 cm, with a weight of 10-18 kg. It also differs in the color of the feathers, their back is dark gray, sometimes almost black, the abdomen, as befits penguins, is white, and bright orange spots are located on the sides of the head. King penguins live on many islands in the South Atlantic.

These penguins are medium in size, Adélie is 65-75 cm long and weighs 6 kg. Also a distinctive feature of this species is the presence of white rings around the eyes. Adélie penguins live in Antarctica and some adjacent islands (Orkney, South of Scotland).

A distinctive feature of the northern crested penguin is the presence of tufts of black and yellow feathers on its head, giving the bird a more than unusual look. The size of this penguin is 55 cm in length and up to 3 kg in weight. It lives on a number of islands in the South Atlantic, in our time, unfortunately, is under the threat of extinction.

In appearance, it is almost identical to other penguins, but has one interesting feature - a bunch of golden feathers flaunts above its head (hence its name). The body length and weight are slightly larger than those of the crested penguin: length - 60-70 cm, weight - 5-6 kg. It also lives in the southern part of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.

This penguin occupies an honorable second place after the emperor, in size, its length reaches 90 cm, weight - up to 9 kg. Also a characteristic feature of this species of penguins is their beak, which is painted in orange-red colors.

The Magellanic Penguin, as the name suggests, lives in the Strait of Magellan, South America. The body length of the Magellanic penguin is 70-80 cm, with a weight of 5-6 kg. The coloring of these penguins is characterized by the presence of one or two black stripes around the neck.

This penguin, which lives on the coast of Antarctica and adjacent islands, in addition to the signature penguin coloration, has an additional black stripe that runs along the head. Its length is 60-70 cm and weighs 4-5 kg.

Also known as the donkey penguin, black-footed penguin, or African penguin. Unlike its counterparts living in cold Antarctic conditions, this penguin lives in South Africa, on the territory of South Africa (South Africa), they are also found on the coasts of neighboring Namibia, but only in places where there is a cold ocean current. Also, these penguins differ from their relatives by a narrow black stripe in the shape of a horseshoe located on their chest.

This species of penguin is the smallest in the penguin family, its height is no more than 40 cm, and weighs up to 1 kg. These little penguins live on the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania and adjacent islands.

penguin breeding

We touched on a little bit about how penguins breed in the section on their lifestyle, now let's talk about this in even more detail. Firstly, matriarchy dominates among penguins, and females choose their males for mating, and not vice versa. Secondly, penguins are monogamous and pair up for life.

Penguins reach sexual maturity after two years. So, with the onset of the mating season, young females choose a suitable male for themselves, and retire with him for mating. As a result of this, after a certain time, the female has 1-2 eggs (in rare cases there may be three). But incubation of eggs, taking care of them, is no longer mom, but dad penguin. The female at this time is engaged in the extraction of food, both for herself and her "husband", who is engaged in archival business.

After about 30-100 days (depending on the type of penguin), small chicks hatch from the eggs, they are blind at first, and only after a few weeks they begin to see. Despite the care and protection of their parents, approximately 60% of the chicks die from hunger, cold and attack by birds of prey - skuas who love to eat penguin chicks.

Before their first molt, little penguins are exclusively on land, only with the advent of thick waterproof plumage will they be able to dive into the water.

As they grow older, little penguins begin to unite in small groups, which zoologists call a kind of "kindergartens" for penguins. Such an association also has practical significance, since in a group it is easier for young penguins to protect themselves from predatory skuas.

Do they eat penguins?

More likely no than yes. Although penguin meat tastes good (according to the stories of some travelers), it has a very specific stench for the human nose. However, some peoples living on the southern islands and European polar explorers exploring Antarctica ate penguins for their own food. The latter did this simply so as not to starve to death due to lack of provisions.

• The first European who was lucky enough to see penguins with his own eyes was the great Spanish navigator Ferdinand Magellan (the one who made the first trip around the world in history). Actually, Magellan penguins are named in his honor. This significant event took place back in 1520 near the island of Novaya Zemlya.
• Among the penguins there are even their swimmers record holders, such are the gentoo penguins, capable of reaching speeds of up to 36 km per hour in water.
• As you know, penguins are very clumsy and clumsy on land and, having fallen, they can no longer rise on their own. For this reason, at some polar Antarctic stations even such a specific profession as a “penguin lifter” has appeared, a person whose duty is to help penguins to rise.

penguins video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary film about the difficult life of emperor penguins.

Penguins spend most of their lives in the water. They are noisy, charming, elegant and funny animals. These unique birds have a truly extraordinary history. Forgetting about their terrestrial ancestors, the penguins conquered the ocean. Their body changed and they were able to swim without fear of water and cold. Now these animals are more like fish than birds. They have a beak, like flying ones, but the body is covered with a thick hairy cover. The sea and cold became the catalyst for the evolutionary changes that the penguin ancestors went through. As a result, a stunning bird was born that can live in the ocean, enduring unimaginably low temperatures.

(Pygoscelis antarctica). Height 60 cm Weight 4.5 kg	(Pygoscelis papua). Height up to 90 cm Weight 7-9 kg
(Eudyptes chrysocome) Height 58 cm Weight 2-3 kg	(Aptenodytes forsteri) Height 122 cm weight 22-45 kg

The penguin kingdom used to be more diverse than it is today. From fossils, scientists have determined that there used to be more than 30 species from 21 genera. Today, after many climatic changes, only 17 species and 6 genera remain. All species live in the southern hemisphere along the coasts and on the islands of Antarctica. And only the Galapagos penguins dared to reach Ecuador, but even there they survive thanks to the cold streams of the Peruvian current. These flightless birds thrive in environments where no other feathered species would survive a day. Among the eternal snows and ices, in a terrible frost, they find food, mate, and hatch chicks. They are excellent swimmers and divers, they can reach depths of over 100 m and “float” three dozen kilometers in a day. Penguins live in colonies, in which several hundred thousand individuals often gather, collectively go hunting, and return with it. They feed on fish, squid, krill.

Their bodies are ideally adapted to the water element. First of all, it is necessary to note their wedge-shaped, hydrodynamic body and short legs located behind, like animals capable of walking upright, 4 fingers are connected by swimming membranes. Penguins are the only plantigrade birds. They walk on their soles, while the rest of the birds rely on their fingers.

One of the most important evolutionary changes is large, flat, muscular wings leading to well-developed pectoral muscles. Penguins move through the water like fish thanks to a pair of moving fins. The head of the penguin has also changed. With the help of glands between the eyes and the beak, excess salt is released, which they absorb in the ocean.

Despite excellent adaptation to marine life, there are two stages in the life of penguins when it is necessary to return to solid ground - molting and reproduction of offspring.

Penguins need solid ground to reproduce. The eggs and chicks will not survive the harsh ocean conditions. And here the problems begin for young males. By the mating season, more experienced males occupy the nests built last year, but someone has to start new construction.

All penguins are monogamous and only the death of one of the partners can destroy the pair. But not all species reproduce in the same way. The gentoo penguins return to where they used to nest, while the chinstrap penguins take on other tasks. The males arrive before the females and take their places. To build a nest, the chinstrap penguin uses only a dozen stones and scrap solid materials. And everything would be fine, because females are not particularly demanding, and males do not like to work. But when the neighbors do not have enough stones for construction, problems begin. Being bad "architects", chinstrap penguins also steal stones from each other.

Unlike their relatives, gentoo penguins are excellent builders. They use up to two thousand stones to protect the nest from the wind. And no penguin will ever steal someone else's stone. This doesn't mean they shouldn't be worried. Gulls, petrels and especially skuas are the main threat to penguin nests. Any egg or chick left unattended can be stolen in a matter of seconds.

penguin feathers

The body of the penguin is covered with special feathers that repel water and maintain the desired temperature. Under the feathers, a layer of warm air increases the insulation. To prevent this layer from losing its properties, the penguin lubricates the body with water-repellent oil, which is contained in a special gland near the tail.

Feathers of penguins are the most difficult adaptive change of these birds. They form a kind of "loop", so the body becomes completely isolated. Such a waterproof coat, while remaining soft, protects from cold and wind, even when its speed reaches 100 km/h. Under such harsh conditions, feather loss can be fatal. But the penguins follow a unique strategy. Each new feather grows from the shell of the previous one, so when the old one falls off, it is replaced by a new one. So the penguin protects the body at low temperatures.

Molting penguins

During molting, penguins lose their waterproofing and are forced to remain on the ground. At the same time, their appearance becomes depressing. In order not to lose all the insulation at once, molting occurs in separate sections. This is the most critical moment of the year. During molting, the bird spends twice as much energy. Because of the damaged insulation, it takes more effort to warm up and grow new feathers. The situation is aggravated by the fact that they cannot enter the water and get food. You have to eat fat reserves, as a result, penguins lose up to 45% of their body weight during molting. In addition, they experience severe itching.