Are you curious to learn some weird and wonderful facts about penguins?
If so, excellent! You are in exactly the right place my friend…
It’s time to chat about penguin facts.
Let’s dive right in…
Facts About Penguins
1 – The word penguin comes from the Latin word meaning “pied” or “black-and-white.”
2 – They are flightless birds, but they can swim up to 15 miles per hour.
3 – The emperor penguin is the tallest at 4 feet tall.
4 – Female emperor penguins have been known to share their eggs with other females in order to ensure that their species survives.
5 – When they mate, penguins will lay one egg at a time and take turns incubating it.
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6 – Penguins eat fish and krill which is their main source of food.
7 – There are 17 species of penguins alive today but most live in Antarctica or close by.
8 – Penguins were first discovered in Antarctica by humans in 1820, but people believe they have existed for over 10 million years.
9 – Emperor penguins can live up to 40 years while other types of penguins typically live 25-30 years on average.
10 – There are 17 species of penguins which include Emperor, Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstrap Rockhopper, Macaroni Royal Penguin (the smallest), King Penguin (largest).
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11 – There are about 10 million breeding pairs of penguins worldwide.
12 – The smallest species of penguin is called the Little Blue Penguin.
13 – Penguins have a thick layer of feathers on their bodies to keep them warm, but they also have a webbed foot for swimming underwater.
14 – They can’t fly because they don’t have any wings, but most penguins will glide up to 100 feet if they need to move quickly.
15 – Lots of people think that penguins are mammals because their bodies produce thick layers of fat for insulation but they are technically BIRDS. They are not mammals because they lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young.
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16 – They are able to dive as deep as 200 meters below the surface of the ocean and can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes (average 6 minutes).
17 – Emperor penguins mate for life and stay together even after one dies or they become separated by ice flows. Male penguins care for the eggs while females go to sea to feed.
18 – Penguins have a heart rate of only 40-60 beats per minute while humans have a heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute.
19 – A group of penguins is called a colony or rookery.
20 – Penguin eggs hatch about two months after being laid by their mother.
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21 – The oldest penguin on record was 39 years old.
22 – In order to keep their feet from freezing, penguins will tuck them into their feathers and waddle on top of a patch of snow.
23 – A baby emperor penguin is called a “chick” and weighs about 3 pounds when it’s born.
24 – They use their wings to propel themselves through water, but cannot flap them in air.
25 – Emperor penguins mate with one partner for life and share incubation duties during breeding season.
