Penguins are very beautiful creatures and most of us do not have the pleasure of having them live around us where we are able to observe them. Recently, they added a “Tuxedo Coast” to the local zoo. I was surprised to find that it consisted of a habitat of penguins. I have always been fascinated with penguins and yes, my daughter and I enjoyed watched “Happy Feet” together – we thought that was a cute movie. Let me give you 8 facts on penguins …
These are eighteen different types of penguins. You can find them on the coasts of New Zealand, Australia, Chile, South Africa, Peru and even on the Galapagos Islands around the equator.
Oh yes, these cute little things look cute and cuddly, but you should not judge a book by its cover. Penguins are born hunters. Their beaks are razor sharp and their wings are able to give a big blow if an intruder were to get close. Make sure you observe them from a safe distance.
When a mother loses a baby, do you know what they do? They go and kidnap another mother’s baby. Wow, now, don’t go doing that – because it’s illegal for us to take someone else’s baby – we have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and go through interviews to adopt a baby.
It isn’t the female that takes care of the baby. With penguins, it is the father that cares for the baby. Now, I think that is really cute.
Penguins are carnivores and get their food from the sea. The type of food they get depends on the species they are. They can eat a variety of different marine animals such as squid, fish, krill, shrimp and much more.
The emperor penguin is the biggest penguin species. They can weigh up to ninety pounds. Wow, that is a pretty big penguin! The fair penguin, on the other hand, is the smallest one and can weigh only two pounds.
The lifespan all depends on the species of the penguin. A wild penguin can live anywhere from fifteen to twenty years. During this time, penguins spend up to seventy five percent of their life in the sea.
Penguins live in large groups. Those large groups are called rookeries. One rookery can thousands of penguins living in it.
Those are 8 facts on penguins. You see, there are so many neat things about penguins. They are not something we have on our “bird” watching guide – because most of us will not look out in our backyard and find these. For the time being, we can continue to take trips to the zoo and watch these incredible animals do what they do best. Be sure to take plenty of pictures during your visit to the zoo – so, since you are reading this, I would like you to post your comment – do you like penguins?
Top Photo Credit: *christopher*