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Spheniscus. For prehistoric genera, see Systematics. Breeding range of penguins, all species (aqua); some species have wider seasonal migration ranges. Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae ( / sfɪˈnɪsɪdiː, - daɪ /) of the order Sphenisciformes ( / sfɪˈnɪsəfɔːrmiːz / ). [4]
Oct 5, 2020 · Last Updated: October 5, 2020. Penguins are a group of flightless birds that are almost exclusively found south of the equator. The penguin is an aquatic birds and are highly adapted for life in the water.
There is never a dull moment in the penguin exhibit. Watch for these commonly seen behaviors and processes that offer a window into penguin biology and their complex social interactions.
- Overview
- General features
penguin, (order Sphenisciformes), any of 18–21 species of flightless marine birds that live only in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority of species live not in Antarctica but rather between latitudes 45° and 60° S, where they breed on islands. A few penguins inhabit temperate regions, and one, the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), lives a...
The stocky, short-legged appearance of penguins has endeared them to people worldwide. They range from about 35 cm (14 inches) in height and approximately 1 kg (about 2 pounds) in weight in the blue, or fairy, penguin (Eudyptula minor) to 115 cm (45 inches) and 25 to 40 kg (55 to 90 pounds) in the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). Most are black on the back and white below, often with lines of black across the upper breast or spots of white on the head. Colour is rare, being limited to red or yellow irises of the eye in some species; red beaks or feet in a few; yellow brow tufts in the three species of Eudyptes; and orange and yellow on the head, neck, and breast in the emperor and king (A. patagonica) penguins.
The total populations of some species, such as the emperor, are estimated in the hundreds of thousands, but most species of smaller penguins certainly run into the millions. Immense island breeding colonies, some teeming with hundreds of thousands of nesting pairs, represent a large potential food resource, but the economic importance of penguins is negligible. Nineteenth-century whalers and seal hunters visited some colonies for meat and eggs, and a penguin oil industry once took large numbers of the birds. By the early 20th century, however, this exploitation was no longer profitable, and most colonies were left alone or actively protected. Some species are now increasing in numbers, apparently as a result of the mid-20th century’s decimation of Antarctic whales, which compete with penguins for the krill (minute crustaceans) on which both feed. Penguin populations, however, are highly vulnerable to changes in climate and ocean temperature, including recent global warming. Penguins also are very sensitive to depletion of local fish populations by humans.
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Penguin - Flightless, Adaptations, Aquatic: Penguins are highly specialized for their flightless aquatic existence; features include a a flipper as a forelimb, very short feathers, and salt glands. There are fossils dating to about 50 million years ago, some giant in size. Order Sphenisciformes has 18–21 species in six genera: Eudyptes, Spheniscus, Pygoscelis, Aptenodytes, Eudyptula, and ...
Scientific Name: Spheniscidae. Diet: Carnivore. Group Name: Colony. Average Life Span: 15-20 years. Size: 16-45 inches. Weight: 2-88 pounds. Penguins are flightless seabirds that live almost...
Tuxedoed birds with endearing personalities, penguins are fascinating to young and old alike. Clumsy and comical on land, they become beautifully graceful swimmers below the ocean’s waves. Although the various species of penguins look similar, the largest penguin, the emperor, stands at 4 foot, 5 inches (1.35 meters) and the smallest penguin ...
