Happy World Penguin Day!
Reasons why we should love them.
Having a World Day is among great opportunities to learn about and appreciate one of the few natives of Antarctica.
April 25 of every year is World Penguin Day, and to celebrate here we should learn some facts about these charismatic seabirds.
PENGUINS ARE NOT JUST CUTE FURRY BIRDS.
No penguins live at the North Pole.
Penguins are flightless birds.
Penguins are carnivores: they feed on fish, squid, crabs, krill and other seafood they catch while swimming. During the summer, an active, medium-sized penguin will eat about 2 pounds of food every day, but in the winter they’ll eat only a third of that.
Eating so much seafood means drinking a lot of salt water, but penguins have a way to remove it. The supra-orbital gland, located just above their eye, filters salt from their bloodstream, which is then excreted through the bill—or by sneezing! But this doesn't mean they chug seawater to quench their thirst: penguins drink melt-water from pools and streams and eat snow for their hydration fix.
Another adaptive gland—the oil (also called preen) gland—produces waterproofing oil. Penguins spread this across their feathers to insulate their bodies and reduce friction when they glide through the water.
Once a year, penguins experience a catastrophic molt. (Yes, that’s the official) Most birds molt (lose feathers and regrow them) a few at a time throughout the year, but penguins lose them all at once. They can’t swim and fish without feathers, so they fatten themselves up beforehand to survive the 2–3 weeks it takes to regrow them back.
Penguin’s black and white plumage serves as camouflage while swimming. The black plumage on their back is hard to see from above, while the white plumage on their front looks like the sun reflecting off the surface of the water when seen from below. The tuxedo’s arn’t to make a fashion statement: it helps them be camouflaged while swimming. From above, their black backs blend into the dark ocean water and, from below, their white bellies match the bright surface lit by sunlight, helping them avoid predators, such as leopard seals, and hunt for fish unseen.
Emperor Penguin are the tallest of all penguin species, reaching as tall of 120 cm (47 in) in height. Emperor’s can stay underwater for around 20 minutes at a time. Emperor Penguin’s often huddle together to keep warm in the cold temperatures of Antarctica.
Many films and programmes share the love of this furry little lovely creatures, including Happy Feet, Surfs Up, Pingu, Madegascar and Mr Poppers Penguins.
You know you find this baby cute………Enjoy your April 25th.
