Welcome, young explorers! Have you ever wondered about the amazing animals called penguins that live in Antarctica’s frosty lands and beyond?
Well, get ready to dive into an exciting adventure as we journey into the world of penguins!
Penguins are incredible flightless birds. This article will uncover fascinating facts about these adorable creatures, such as their unique appearances, playful personalities, chilly habitat, and their fantastic underwater abilities.
Learn about the world of penguins with these Amazing Penguin Facts for Kids!
What is a penguin?
Penguins are a species of bird that cannot fly.
Over millions of years, a penguin’s wings have evolved, and instead of being used to fly, they work as flippers to help them swim.
There are many different species of penguins. Adelie penguins, African penguins, Chinstrap penguins, Emperor penguins, Erect-crested penguins, Fiordland penguins, Galapagos penguins, Gentoo penguins, Humboldt penguins, King penguins, Little Blue penguins, Macaroni penguins, Magellanic penguins, Rockhopper penguins, Royal penguins, Snares penguins, and Yellow-eyed Penguins.
What does a penguin look like?
Penguins have torpedo-shaped body that is built for swimming. They have a small head, short neck, long beak, short tail, and webbed feet. Their wings are more like flippers and are built for swimming.
Many people are familiar with the black and white, often called tuxedo coloring of a penguin, but did you know they can come in a variety of colors?
Some colors of a penguin include black, white, and shades of grey. They can also have accent colors around their head of, yellows, and oranges.
The size of a penguin depends on the species. The largest penguins are the Emperor Penguins. They can be 3ft 7 inches tall and weigh 75 pounds.
The second largest species of penguin is the King Penguin. King Penguins are 3.3ft tall and can weigh between 26 and 40 pounds
Emperor Penguins live in Antarctica. The smallest penguins are the Little Blue Penguins, also known as Fairy Penguins. They are only 16 inches tall and weigh 2 ½ pounds! Little Blue Penguins live in Southern Australia and New Zealand.
Larger penguins live in colder climates, and smaller penguins live in warmer climates.
How do penguins stay warm in those cold climates?
Penguins living in cold climates have a layer of fat called blubber under their skin to keep them warm.
Penguins have multiple layers of feathers.
They have a fluffy layer of feathers covering their skin; another layer of feathers is over them. Penguins living in cold climates are known to huddle together in large groups to keep themselves warm.
What does a penguin eat?
Penguins are carnivores meaning they eat meat. Most penguins eat krill and squid, while others eat fish, squid, krill, shrimp, and other crustaceans.
Penguins catch their food in the water. They catch the food using their beaks and swallow it whole.
Unlike humans, penguins can drink saltwater. Penguins have a gland in their body that acts as a filter to separate the salt from the water.
Where do penguins live?
Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, which is the southern half of the earth.
They live mostly in Antarctica, South America, South Africa, New Zealand, and Galapagos Islands.
Penguins are social animals and live in groups called colonies.
Penguin Habitat
Penguins spend half of their time on land and the other half in the water.
Their bodies are built for swimming. Penguins are excellent swimmers and divers. They can swim 20 miles per hour.
Their tuxedo appearance is called countershading and works as camouflage on land and in the water.
Seal leopards, sea lions, orcas, skuas, snakes, sharks, and foxes are all predators of penguins.
Global warming and oil spills also hurt the penguin’s habitat.
Baby Penguins
When male penguins are ready to find a mate, they make loud calls to attract a female.
After penguins find mates, they sing to each other so they can recognize their voices.
When penguins find mates, they stay with that mate for a very long time.
How are baby penguins born? Female penguins lay their eggs on the shore. 1-2 eggs are laid, but usually 1 hatch.
Penguins take very good care of their eggs. After the female penguin lays her egg, she looks for food. The male penguin will sit on the egg to protect it until she returns. When she comes back, the male leaves to look for food.
It takes about 35 days for a penguin egg to hatch.
A baby penguin is called a chick.
Chicks will eat regurgitated food from their mother. Regurgitated food is food that comes out of the mother’s stomach.
A chick will leave the nest when they are around one month old.
Facts about Penguins
Penguins are social animals, they often nest with other penguins.
Most penguins are playful. They like to go tobogganing. They will lay on their tummy and slide through the ice and snow. Penguins will also dive off cliffs into the water, get out and dive again for fun.
Sometimes penguins are referred to as “Gentlemen of the Animal Kingdom” because their black and white bodies resemble a tuxedo.
Penguins are known for their strong bonds with their mates. They often stay with the same partner for a long time. They show affection by holding hands using their flippers.
When a male penguin wants to impress a female and asks her to be his mate, he searches for the perfect pebble to present to her. It’s like a penguin proposal! If the female accepts the pebble, it means she accepts his love.
No penguins live in the North Pole!
Emperor Penguin Facts
Emperor penguins are the most well-known species of penguin. Here are some unique facts about Emperor Penguins that set them apart from other species of penguins
Emperor penguins are the only species that have babies during the harsh Antarctic winter. Most other penguins breed in milder seasons.
While many penguin species are excellent divers, emperor penguins hold the record for the deepest and longest dives. They can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes and dive to depths of around 1,800 feet.
Emperor penguins have larger eggs. On average, they are 15% larger than other species of penguins.
Emperor penguins are known for their unique huddling behavior. They form large, tight groups to stay warm during the extremely cold Antarctic winters. They can conserve heat and protect themselves from freezing temperatures by huddling together.
Penguin Jokes
Which bird always gets a first place? Answer A peng-win, of course!
Why shouldn’t you ever write a book on penguins? Answer Because writing on paper is much easier!
What does a penguin eat? Answer: Ice-burgers!
Where do penguins keep their money? Answer a Snow-bank!
What do you call a cold penguin? Answer A Brrr-d!
What do penguins call a dance? Answer Snow Ball
Why didn’t the penguin jump off the iceberg? Answer: Because it had cold feet!
What do you call a penguin in the desert? Answer: Lost!
Why don’t penguins fly? Answer: Because they aren’t tall enough to be pilots!
What’s black and white and waddles around? Answer a penguin of course!
What do penguins wear in the summer? Answer Flipper flops!
Why don’t penguins live in Great Britain? Answer: Because they are afraid of Wales!
