Penguin

Icadyptes salasi Phylogenetic analysis of living and fossil penguins shows that the group evolved a large body size early in its history. For example, two of the largest fossil penguins known— Icadyptes, which stood some 1.5 metres (about 5 feet) tall, and Anthropornis, which stood about 1.8 metres (6 feet) tall—date to the Classification • Order Sphenisciformes (penguins) 18–21 species in 1 family (Spheniscidae) with 6 genera found in oceans of the Southern Hemisphere; wings flipperlike for propulsion underwater; webbed feet short and stout; stance upright; feathers short and dense, molted in patches; length 35–115 cm (14–45 inches); fossil forms to 180 cm (70 inches). • Genus Eudyptes ( crested penguins) 7 species: erect-crested, • Genus Spheniscus (black-footed, or jackass, penguins) 4 species: • Pygoscelis 3 species: • Genus Aptenodytes 2 species: • Genus ( 1 species, also called little, or fairy, penguin. • Genus Megadyptes ( 1 species.

For example, crested penguins sport a crown of yellow feathers. Blushes of orange and yellow mark the necks of emperor and king penguins. What look like bright yellow, bushy eyebrows adorn the heads of some species, such as the Fiordland, royal, Snares and rockhopper penguins. The macaroni penguin's name comes from the crest of yellow feathers on its head, which looks like the 18th-century hats of the same name. A light yellow mask covers the face of the yellow-eyed penguin around the eyes. The smallest penguin species is the little (also called little blue) penguin. These birds grow to 10 to 12 inches (25.4 to 30.48 centimeters) tall and weigh only 2 to 3 lbs. (0.90 to 1.36 kilograms). The largest penguin is the emperor penguin. It grows to 36 to 44 inches (91.44 to 111.76 cm) tall and weighs 60 to 90 lbs (27.21 to 40.82 kg). Where do penguins live? Considered marine birds, penguins live up to 80 percent of their lives in the ocean, according to the What do penguins eat? Penguins are carnivores; they eat only meat. Their diet includes krill (tiny crustaceans), squid and fish. Some species of penguin can make a large dent in an area's food supply. For example, the breeding population of Adélie penguins (about 2,370,000 pairs) can consume up to 1.5 million metric tons (1.5 billion kg) of krill, 115,000 metric tons (115 million kg) of fish and 3,500 metric tons (3.5 million kg) of squid each year, according to The yellow-eyed penguin is very tenacious when foraging for food....

Penguins seem a bit out of place on land, with their stand-out black jackets and clumsy waddling. But once you see their grace in the water, you know that’s where they’re meant to be –they are well-adapted to life in the ocean. April 25 of each year is 1. Depending on which scientist you ask, there are 17 –20 species of penguins alive today, all of which live in the southern half of the globe. The most northerly penguins are Galapagos penguins ( Spheniscus mendiculus), which occasionally poke their heads north of the equator. 2. While they can’t fly through the air with their flippers, many penguin species take to the air when they leap from the water onto the ice. Just before taking flight, they 3. Most penguins swim underwater at around four to seven miles per hour (mph), but the fastest penguin—the Pygoscelis papua)—can reach top speeds of 22 mph! Gentoo penguins “porpoise” by jumping out of the water. They can move faster through air than water, so will often porpoise to escape from a predator. Photo: Gilad Rom (Flickr) 4. Penguins don’t wear tuxedos 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. This helps them avoid predators, 5. The Waimanu manneringi 6. Like other birds, penguins don’t have teeth. Instead, they have backward-facing fleshy spines that line the inside of their mouths. These help them g...