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Penguins (lat. Sphenisсidae)

Penguins spend most of their lives in water. They are noisy, charming, elegant and funny animals. These unique birds really unusual story. Forgetting about their land-based ancestors, penguins conquered the ocean. Their body changed and they were able to swim without fear of water and cold. Now these animals are more like fish than birds. They have a beak, like a flying one, but their body is covered with thick hair. The sea and cold became a catalyst for the evolutionary changes that the ancestors of penguins went through. As a result, a stunning bird was born, capable of living in the ocean, enduring unimaginably low temperatures.

(Pygoscelis antarctica). Height 60 cm Weight 4.5 kg	(Pygoscelis papua). Height up to 90 cm Weight 7-9 kg

(Eudyptes chrysocome) Height 58 cm Weight 2-3 kg	(Aptenodytes forsteri) Height 122 cm weight 22-45 kg

The penguin kingdom used to be more diverse than it is today. From fossils, scientists have determined that there used to be more than 30 species from 21 genera. Today, after many climate change only 17 species and 6 genera remain. All species live in the southern hemisphere along the coasts and islands of Antarctica. And only the Galapagos penguins dared to reach Ecuador, but even there they survive thanks to the cold currents Peruvian current. These flightless birds thrive in environments where no other bird would survive a day. Among the eternal snow and ice, in the terrible frost, they find food, mate, and hatch chicks. They swim and dive beautifully, can reach depths of over 100 m and “swim” three dozen kilometers in a day. Penguins live in colonies, in which several hundred thousand individuals often gather, collectively go on a hunt, and return from it. They feed on fish, squid, and krill.

Their bodies are perfectly adapted to water element. Firstly, it is necessary to note their wedge-shaped, hydrodynamic body and short legs located at the back, like in animals capable of walking upright, 4 fingers are connected by swimming membranes. Penguins are the only plantigrade birds. They walk on their soles, while other birds rest on their toes.

One of the most important evolutionary changes is large, flat, muscular wings turning into well-developed pectoral muscles. Penguins move through the water like fish, thanks to a pair of moving ribs. The penguin's head has also changed. With the help of glands between the eyes and beak, excess salt is secreted, which they absorb in the ocean.

Despite excellent adaptation to marine flora and fauna, in the life of penguins there are two stages when it is necessary to return to solid ground - molting and reproduction.

To reproduce, penguins need solid ground. The eggs and chicks will not survive the harsh ocean conditions. And this is where problems begin for young males. TO mating season more experienced males take over the nests built the previous year, but someone has to start new construction.

All penguins are monogamous and only the death of one of the partners can destroy the pair. But not all species have the same process of reproduction. Gentoo penguins return to where they previously nested, while their chinstrap counterparts perform other tasks. Males arrive before females and take their places. To build a nest, the chinstrap penguin uses only a dozen stones and scraps of solid materials. And everything would be fine, because females are not particularly demanding, and males do not like to work. But when neighbors don't have enough stones for construction, problems begin. Being bad “architects,” chinstrap penguins also steal stones from each other.

Unlike their relatives, gentoo penguins are excellent builders. They use up to two thousand stones to protect their nest from the wind. And no penguin will ever steal someone else's stone. This doesn't mean they shouldn't worry. Gulls, petrels and especially skuas are the main threat to penguin nests. Any egg or chick left unattended can be stolen in a few seconds.

penguin feathers

The penguin's body is covered with special feathers that repel water and maintain the desired temperature. Under the feathers layer warm air increases insulation. To prevent this layer from losing its properties, the penguin lubricates its body with water-repellent oil, which is contained in a special gland near its tail.

Penguin feathers are the most complex adaptive change of these birds. They form a kind of “loop”, so the body becomes completely isolated. This waterproof coat, while remaining soft, protects against cold and wind, even when its speed reaches 100 km/h. In such harsh conditions, loss of feathers can be fatal. But penguins have a unique strategy. Each new feather grows from the shell of the previous one, so when the old one falls off, it is replaced by a new one. This is how the penguin protects its body at low temperatures.

Penguins molt

During molting, penguins lose their waterproofing and are forced to remain on the ground. Their appearance becomes depressing. In order not to lose all the insulation at once, molting occurs in separate sections. This is the most critical moment of the year. During molting, the bird spends twice as much energy. Due to damaged insulation, it takes more effort to warm up and grow new feathers. The situation is aggravated by the fact that they cannot enter the water and get food. Having to feed on fat reserves, as a result, penguins lose up to 45% of their body weight during molting. In addition, they experience severe itching.

general characteristics

The largest of the modern representatives is the emperor penguin (height - 110-120 cm, weight up to 46 kg), the smallest are representatives of the species Eudyptula minor- small penguin (height 30-40 cm, weight 1-2.5 kg). Such significant differences are explained by Bergmann's rule, of which penguins are a common example. Bergmann's rule states that animals living in cold regions have big sizes body, since this contributes to a more rational ratio of the volume and surface of the animal’s body and thereby reduces heat loss.

Emperor penguins in Antarctica

Body structure

Penguins are distinguished from all other birds by a very special body structure. Penguins have a streamlined body shape, which is ideal for moving in water. The forelimbs of penguins are nothing more than flippers. The musculature and structure of the bones allows them to work underwater with their wings almost like propellers. Unlike other flightless birds, penguins have a sternum with a clearly defined keel, to which powerful muscles are attached. Swimming underwater differs from flying in the air in that the same energy is expended in raising the wing as in lowering it, since water resistance is greater than air resistance, therefore the shoulder blades of penguins have a larger surface area on which the muscles are attached, compared to other birds. responsible for lifting the wing. The humerus and forearm bones are connected at the elbow straight and motionless, which increases the stability of the wing. The pectoral muscles are unusually developed and sometimes account for up to 30% of body weight, which is several times greater than the muscles of the most powerful flying birds. The femurs are very short knee-joint motionless, and the legs are noticeably shifted back, which causes an unusually straight gait. Large feet with a swimming membrane are relatively short - when on land, animals often rest, standing on their heels, while the rigid tail feathers serve as additional support for them. The tail of penguins is greatly shortened, since the steering function, which it usually has in other waterfowl, is performed primarily by the legs in penguins. The second obvious difference between penguins and other birds is bone density. All birds have tubular bones, which makes their skeleton lighter and allows them to fly or run fast. But in penguins they are similar to the bones of mammals (dolphins and seals) and do not contain internal cavities.

Thermoregulation

Within their habitat, penguins are exposed to extreme climatic conditions and have different anatomical features that allow them to adapt to these conditions. Thermal insulation is primarily served by a thick - from 2 to 3 cm - layer of fat, above which there are three layers of waterproof, short, tightly adjacent feathers and evenly distributed throughout the body. Penguins do not have apteria - areas of skin devoid of feathers, unlike almost all other birds; exceptions are some tropical species, in which apteria are present on the front part of the head. The air in the layers of feathers also effectively protects against heat loss when in water. Penguins also have a well-developed “heat transfer system” in their fins and legs: the arterial blood entering them transfers heat to the colder venous blood flowing back to the body, thus keeping heat loss to a minimum. This process is called the "reverse flow principle". On the other hand, penguin species living in tropical waters have to cope with overheating. Their fins have a larger area in relation to their body size, so the surface from which heat transfer occurs is increased. In addition, some species also lack facial plumage, which accelerates the process of heat transfer in the shade.

Plumage

The numerous small, undifferentiated, rather hair-like feathers that make up the plumage, in almost all species of penguins, are grayish-blue on the back, turning into black, and white on the belly. This coloring is camouflage for many marine animals (for example, dolphins). Males and females are very similar, although males are slightly larger. Most crested penguins (Eudyptes) have a very noticeable orange-yellow head decoration. The plumage of the cubs is often gray or brown, but in some species the sides and belly are white. After hatching eggs and raising chicks, penguins begin molting - changing their plumage. During molting, penguins shed a large number of feathers at the same time and for this time are not able to swim in water and remain without food until new feathers grow. New feathers grow under the old ones and seem to push them out. During this period, which lasts from two to six weeks in different species, birds use fat reserves twice as fast. Subantarctic penguins (Pygoscelis papua) and Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) do not have a clear molting period; in these species it can begin at any time between hatching chicks. In birds that do not hatch chicks, molting almost always begins earlier than in others.

Vision and hearing

Penguins' eyes are perfectly adapted to underwater swimming conditions; The cornea of their eyes is very flat, as a result of which birds are slightly myopic on land. Another means of adaptation is the contractility and extensibility of the pupil, which is especially pronounced in Emperor penguins diving greater depth. Thanks to this feature, penguins' eyes very quickly adapt to changing light conditions in water at a depth of up to 100 m. Analysis of the pigment composition allows us to conclude that penguins see in the blue part of the spectrum better than in the red, and probably even perceive ultraviolet rays. Since light from the red part of the spectrum is scattered already in upper layers water, this visual feature is likely the result of evolutionary adaptation. Penguin ears, like those of most birds, do not have a clear external structure. When diving, they are tightly closed with special feathers, so that water does not penetrate inside the ear. In Emperor penguins, in addition, the edge of the outer ear is enlarged in such a way that it can be closed, due to which the middle and inner ear are protected from pressure damage that can be caused by diving to great depths. Underwater, penguins make almost no sounds, but on land they communicate through calls that resemble the sounds of a trumpet and rattle. It has not yet been established whether they use hearing to track prey and detect their natural enemies.

Nutrition

Penguins feed on fish - Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum), anchovies (Engraulidae) or sardines (in Clupeidae), as well as crabs such as krill, or small cephalopods, which they hunt by swallowing directly under water. If different types share the same habitat, their diet tends to be different: Adélie penguins and chinstrap penguins prefer krill of different sizes.

Movement

The average speed that penguins develop in water is from five to ten kilometers per hour, but higher rates are possible over short distances. The most in a fast way movement is “dolphin swimming”; while the animal is on a short time jumps out of the water like a dolphin. The reasons for this behavior are not clear: it probably helps to reduce current resistance, or is intended to confuse natural enemies.

In diving, some penguins break records: smaller species such as the subantarctic penguin (Pygoscelis papua) can stay underwater for one or (rarely) more than two minutes and dive to depths of 20 meters, but Emperor penguins can stay underwater for 18 minutes and dive to more than 530 meters. Although it is the superpowers of Emperor penguins that remain poorly understood to this day, it is known, however, that when diving, the animal’s pulse is reduced to one-fifth of its resting heart rate; Thus, oxygen consumption is reduced, which allows you to increase the duration of stay under water with the same volume of air in the lungs. The mechanism for regulating body pressure and temperature when diving to great depths remains unknown.

When leaving the water, penguins can jump over the height of the coastline up to 1.80 m. Due to their relatively short legs on land, penguins move by waddling from side to side - this method of movement, as biomechanical studies have proven, saves a lot of energy. On ice, penguins can also move quickly - they slide down mountains while lying on their stomachs. Some species travel many kilometers between the sea and the place where their colony has settled.

Habitat

Penguins live in the open sea Southern Hemisphere: in the coastal waters of Antarctica, New Zealand, southern Australia, South Africa, all over the west coast South America from the Falkland Islands to Peru, as well as in the Galapagos Islands near the Equator. Penguins prefer cool weather, so in tropical latitudes they appear only with cold currents - the Humboldt Current on the west coast of South America or the Benguela Current, which arises at the Cape of Good Hope and washes the west coast of South Africa.

Most species live between 45° and 60° south latitude; the most large cluster individuals are found in Antarctica and on the adjacent islands.

The northernmost habitat of penguins is the Galapagos Islands, located near the equator.

Reproduction

Penguins in folklore

Among Russian fans There is a joke among Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen that during his years of racing for the McLaren team, penguins (unexpectedly jumping onto the track or sitting in the car) were the cause of technical breakdowns and piloting errors.
There is another joke: “ Pengu And we are swallows, only very fat ones».

Links

Penguin.su A selection of articles and photographs about penguins, interesting facts
Portal where penguins live Everything about penguins and even more. News, information, photos, postcards, games, etc.

The previous post suggested a topic for me to look into on the Internet. So I decided to learn more about penguins, and at the same time I’ll tell you.

Penguins (lat. Spheniscidae)- a family of flightless seabirds, the only one in the order of penguins (Sphenisciformes). There are 18 species in the family. Next I will show you all of them in more detail.

There are two options for where the name “penguin” comes from: from the Welsh pen (head) and gwyn (white) denoting the extinct great auk (Pinguinus impennis) from the auk family. And sailors named penguins the same way because of their similarity. From the Latin word “pinguis” - “fat” this is confirmed by the fact that in many European languages the word “penguin” is associated with the word “fat”

The largest of the modern representatives is the emperor penguin (height - 110-120 cm, weight up to 46 kg), the smallest are representatives of the species Eudyptula minor - the little penguin (height 30-40 cm, weight 1-2.5 kg). And here he is:

The pectoral muscles are unusually developed and sometimes account for up to 30% of body weight, which is several times greater than the muscles of the most powerful flying birds. The femurs are very short, the knee joint is immobile, and the legs are noticeably set back, causing an unusually straight gait. Large feet with a swimming membrane are relatively short - when on land, animals often rest, standing on their heels, while the rigid tail feathers serve as additional support for them. The tail of penguins is greatly shortened, since the steering function, which it usually has in other waterfowl, is performed primarily by the legs in penguins. The second clear difference between penguins and other birds is bone density. All birds have tubular bones, which makes their skeleton lighter and allows them to fly or run fast. But in penguins they are similar to the bones of mammals (dolphins and seals) and do not contain internal cavities.

The air in the layers of feathers also effectively protects against heat loss when in water. Penguins also have a well-developed “heat transfer system” in their fins and legs: the arterial blood entering them transfers heat to the colder venous blood flowing back to the body, thus keeping heat loss to a minimum. This process is called the "reverse flow principle". On the other hand, penguin species living in tropical waters have to cope with overheating. Their fins have a larger area in relation to their body size, so the surface from which heat transfer occurs is increased. In addition, some species also lack facial plumage, which accelerates the process of heat transfer in the shade.

During molting, penguins shed a large number of feathers at once and during this time they are unable to swim in the water and remain without food until new feathers grow. New feathers grow under the old ones and seem to push them out. During this period, which lasts from two to six weeks in different species, birds use fat reserves twice as fast. Subantarctic penguins (Pygoscelis papua) and Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) do not have a clear molting period; in these species it can begin at any time between hatching chicks. In birds that do not hatch chicks, molting almost always begins earlier than in others.

They also have natural enemies. Yes, and they’re so toothy. The link to a detailed post about them is at the very end of the article.

Analysis of the pigment composition allows us to conclude that penguins see in the blue part of the spectrum better than in the red, and probably even perceive ultraviolet rays. Since light from the red part of the spectrum is scattered already in the upper layers of water, this feature of vision is likely the result of evolutionary adaptation. Penguin ears, like those of most birds, do not have a clear external structure. When diving, they are tightly closed with special feathers, so that water does not penetrate inside the ear. In Emperor penguins, the edge of the outer ear is also enlarged so that it can be closed, thereby protecting the middle and inner ear from pressure damage that can be caused by diving to great depths. Underwater, penguins make almost no sounds, but on land they communicate through calls that resemble the sounds of a trumpet and rattle. It has not yet been established whether they use hearing to track prey and detect their natural enemies.

Penguins feed on fish - Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum), anchovies (Engraulidae) or sardines (in Clupeidae), as well as crabs such as krill, or small cephalopods, which they hunt by swallowing directly under water. If different species share the same habitat, their diets tend to differ.

The average speed that penguins develop in water is from five to ten kilometers per hour, but higher rates are possible over short distances.

The fastest way to travel is “dolphin swimming”; in this case, the animal jumps out of the water for a short time, like a dolphin. The reasons for this behavior are not clear: it probably helps to reduce current resistance, or is intended to confuse natural enemies.

Classification
The Penguin family (lat. Spheniscidae) contains 6 genera, 18 species:

Genus Aptenodytes (Imperial)
Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri)
Breeds along the coast of Antarctica on ice, south of 78° south latitude.

Its body length is 110-120 cm. Weight is 20-45 kg.
The first pairs begin to be created in April, after 25 days it is postponed white egg, the only one during the breeding season. The female holds the egg on her paws for some time, covering it with a special fold of skin on the underside of her abdomen. After a few hours it is transmitted to the male. After this, the females, one after another, go to sea. This goes on for about two months, and when the time for the chicks to hatch approaches, at the end of July the females, well-fed and fat, begin to arrive from the sea. Each female finds her male by voice. The male, hungry for 4 months, hastily gives the egg to his girlfriend and hurries to the sea.
Feeds on small fish, small cephalopods and planktonic crustaceans, mainly euphausiid crustaceans

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica)
Lives further north, in more warm places. Breeding colonies are located on the islands of South Georgia, Kerguelen, Marion, Crozet and Macquarie.

Body length is 91-96 cm. Colonies are located on hard rocky soil. Reproduction occurs in summer: eggs are laid mainly in December - January. Each female lays only 1 large egg. Both parents incubate alternately. Incubation duration 54 days

Genus Eudyptes (Crested)

Rockhopper penguin or rock climber penguin, rock penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)

There are 3 subspecies:
Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome
Eudyptes chrysocome filholi
Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi

It lives on the rocky islands of the subantarctic region, but is sometimes found further north, on the southern tip of Africa and South America, as well as on the southern coast of New Zealand.
Reaches 45-58 cm in height, weight 2-3 kg.

It nests in large colonies on the barren and very harsh islands of Tristanda Cunha and Heard Island. In a noisy and cramped colony small first the egg is usually lost in quarrels with neighbors. The chicks go to the nursery, but return to the nest when their parents call them to feed them. The chicks grow quickly and at the age of 10 weeks are ready to go to sea.

Victoria penguin or crested thick-billed penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)

It nests only on the rocky, creviced coast of South Island in New Zealand, as well as on two small offshore islands - Stuart and Solander.
Reaches 60 cm in length, weighing about 3 kg.

Golden-crested snar penguin or crested snar penguin (Eudyptes robustus)
The Snares Islands, a chain stretching south of New Zealand, are the only habitat for these penguins.

Reaches 63 cm in height, weighing about 3 kg.
Lives in favorable conditions temperate climate. The waters off the Snares Islands are warm enough that penguins rarely swim south beyond the sub-Antarctic region

Schlegel's penguin or Macquarie penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli)
Lives on the barren, deserted Macquarie Island, located in Pacific Ocean in close proximity to the Antarctic belt.

In size, appearance and habits it is similar to the golden-haired pengiguin.
Reaches 65-75 cm in length, weighing 5.5 kg

Great crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri)

Breeds only on four small islands south of New Zealand. Large colonies are located on the Antipodes Islands and Bounty Island, small colonies are located on Auckland and Campbell Islands.
Reaches 65 cm in height, weighing about 2.5-3.5 kg.

Golden-haired penguin or Macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus)
Distributed throughout the southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans. They breed on South Georgia, South Shetland, South Orkney and some other subantarctic islands.
Body length 65-76 cm.

Their colonies are very numerous - up to 600 thousand nesting individuals. They nest on the ground, making very primitive nests. 2 eggs are laid. Hatching duration is 35 days, with changes of parents characteristic of penguins

Genus Eudyptula (Small)

Little penguin, elf penguin, little blue penguin, little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor)

It stays off the southern coast of Australia, along the coasts of Tasmania, New Zealand and Chatham Island.
It has a body length of only 40 cm. Usually lays 1-2, sometimes 3 eggs.

White-winged penguin, northern little penguin, small northern penguin(Eudyptula albosignata)

Body length is about 30 cm and weight is 1.5 kg. Breeds only on Motunau Island, near Canterbury ( New Zealand), is endangered.

Genus Megadyptes (Magnificent)

Magnificent penguin, yellow-eyed penguin, Antipodean penguin, Hoiho penguin (Megadyptes antipodes)

Breeds along the southern coast of the New Zealand islands and on Stewart, Auckland and Campbell Islands in September - November.
The body length reaches 83 cm.

These birds do not form colonies and usually nest in separate pairs. Young penguins (at the age of 3 years) lay 1 egg, older penguins almost always lay 2 eggs. The incubation period of the magnificent penguin is 4 weeks. Sexual maturity of birds apparently occurs in the 4-5th year of life.

Genus Pygoscelis (Antarctic)

Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Breeds along the shores of the Antarctic continent and on islands close to the mainland: South Shetland, South Orkney and South Sandwich. Outside the nesting season, it wanders widely, moving 600-700 km from its native places.

This is a fairly large bird, up to 80 cm high. Nesting colonies are located on hard, snow-free ground. In individual colonies there are several tens of thousands of birds. There are usually 2 eggs in a clutch, which are laid with an interval of 2-4 days. The duration of their incubation is 33-38 days.

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)
It lives mainly on the barren islands of the subantarctic region.

It reaches a height of 71-76 cm and weighs 4 kg.
These penguins are quite aggressive. There are known cases of these birds attacking people approaching the colony. Unlike other species, they feed both their chicks.

Subantarctic penguin, Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)
These birds nest in Antarctica and on islands in the sub-Antarctic region, including the Falkland Islands and Crozet Islands. Nests are made among tufts of turfy grass.

Lay 2 eggs. The chicks have to fight for their parents to feed them. The parent runs away, and the children try to catch up with him. The larger and stronger older chick usually wins the race; the second chick is fed only if there is a lot of food. Otherwise he dies. With a height of 75-90 cm and a weight of about 6 kg, this penguin is the largest representative of the genus of long-tailed penguins.

Genus Spheniscus (spectacled)

Donkey penguin, African penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

Distributed off the southern and southwestern coasts of Africa.
Body length 61-86 cm.
Reproduction occurs throughout the year, mainly in May-June.

Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)
This is the only penguin that breeds in the tropics. The female lays 2 eggs in rock crevices in the colder season (May-June).

This is the smallest representative of the spectacled penguin genus, reaching a height of 53 cm and weighing 2-2.5 kg.
Despite the fact that Galapagos penguins live on islands where temperatures often rise to 38°C, they find food in the cold waters of the Cromwell Current.

Humboldt penguin, Peruvian penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
Inhabits islands off the western coast of South America, the coasts of Peru and Chile.

Reaches a height of 55-56 cm, with a weight of 5 kg.
Endangered; there are less than 10 thousand birds

Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)
It lives on the rocky, windswept southern coast of South America and the Falkland Islands.

Reaches a height of 70 cm and weighs about 4 kg.
On the shore during the breeding season, these birds are very timid and, when they see a person, they hide in their deep nests, but in the water they are not at all afraid of people and can be quite aggressive. The population of these birds is quite large (1-2 million) and seems quite stable

Penguins live in the open seas of the Southern Hemisphere: in the coastal waters of Antarctica, New Zealand, southern Australia, South Africa, along the entire west coast of South America from the Falkland Islands to Peru, as well as on the Galapagos Islands near the Equator. Penguins prefer cool weather, so in tropical latitudes they appear only with cold currents - the Humboldt Current on the west coast of South America or the Benguela Current, which arises at the Cape of Good Hope and washes the west coast of South Africa.

Most species live between 45° and 60° south latitude; the largest concentration of individuals is in Antarctica and on the adjacent islands.

The northernmost habitat of penguins is the Galapagos Islands, located near the equator.

Penguins most often nest in large colonies, often numbering tens of thousands of pairs or more. Both parents alternately take part in incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. The chicks feed on semi-digested fish and crustaceans regurgitated by their parents. The cubs find refuge from the cold in the lower folds of the parent's abdomen.

In cold Antarctic regions, one egg is hatched, in temperate and warm regions There may be several eggs.

and a little bit interesting facts briefly:

All penguins live in the southern hemisphere, sometimes going far to the north (to the Galapagos Islands, almost at the equator) or to densely populated cities (the North Harbor area in Sydney, Australia). Cody's homeland is Shiverpool in Antarctica, but he is happy to live on the tropical island of Pen Gu.

Penguins can stand upright because their webbed feet are located at the very end of their bodies. This is also what makes them such fast and strong swimmers, especially when combined with their oar-shaped wings. This is how Cody manages to catch up with Mikey the whale and get a ticket to the Big Z tournament.

Penguins are special birds, order Penguinaceae, family Penguinidae. Unlike the vast majority of birds, these birds do not fly, but they swim and dive well. For this, they have a suitable structure - a streamlined body shape, tightly fitting feathers, a movable neck and a sharp beak.

There is a common misconception regarding their range. Everything that most people know about these birds is taken from feature films, cartoons and, a little, from encyclopedias. Penguins are endearing with their clumsiness. On land, these birds move with difficulty, waddling funny from paw to paw. They are very cute, their image is often used to create soft toys, drawings and advertising. If you ask ten people where penguins live, eight of them will answer that these birds live in the North. But that's not true.

Structure, description, habitat of penguins

Penguin structural features

It has already been said that the penguin's body has smooth, streamlined shape. Its wings, as a result of evolution, became very flexible flippers. When he swims underwater, his shoulder joint rotates like a screw. The bird's legs are short and four-toed. He also has membranes between his fingers, which help in maneuverable swimming. Another structural feature distinguishes the penguin from other birds - its legs are shifted far back. Thanks to this, he stands and moves on land strictly vertically.

To maintain balance, the penguin uses its short tail as a support. Also, his bones are not tubular, like those of most birds, but more like a skeleton marine mammals. And for thermal insulation, like all animals that live in the cold, the penguin has an excellent warming fat layer. The peculiarities of their plumage also protect birds from cold and wetness. The feathers hug them tightly from head to toe. Birds cannot boast of a variety of colors - all species have a black back and a white belly. Black color accumulates heat from the sun well and also helps with general thermoregulation.

Penguins eat fish, crustaceans and various shellfish. It's interesting how they're designed oral apparatus- to catch prey, the bird sucks it in along with water.

Periodically, the bird molts. This is a time of vulnerability and unkempt appearance. The plumage does not change at the same time, and old feathers hang in shreds all over its body. Also, during molting, the bird does not eat, tries to hide from the wind and does not swim.

That, how long do penguins live, depends on their type. On average, large species live up to 25 years, and smaller species live up to 15 years. In zoos and good care, these numbers will certainly increase.

Area

Despite popular misconception, penguins do not live at the North Pole. They live on South Pole, in its cold regions. These birds also live in Australia and, oddly enough, South Africa, South America and the Galapagos Islands. The bird’s habitat also depends, of course, on its species.

There are 19 known to science species of penguins included in 6 genera. Here are the most famous of them:

Penguin breeding

Penguins are very social birds. They live in flocks and often huddle in large groups, huddling tightly together to survive cold times. Most of them are monogamous and form one pair for life. Their nesting sites are located on rock-covered shores, and some species create a structure made of pebbles that imitates a rounded nest. A hole in the rock can also serve as a nest. Most often, there are 2 eggs in a clutch. Less often, 3 or 4. Both parents hatch them, periodically replacing each other to eat and exercise.

The embryo develops from 30 to 100 days, the timing depends on the species. Then the chick hatches. He is covered in down, helpless and blind. The parents continuously take care of it, and after 2 weeks, the chick will begin to see and become more independent. Unfortunately, about 60% of chicks die from various aggressive environmental factors - low temperatures, attacks by predators and hunger.

As soon as the cub opens its eyes, the parents stop constantly caring for it and move away, only occasionally feeding the chick. Because of this, babies flock together to keep warm or protect themselves from seagulls. The entire colony begins to participate in feeding the offspring. This will continue until the babies' first moult, after which they receive feather cover almost identical to that of the adult bird. Then the chicks will be able to dive and start feeding on their own.

Many of us love looking at penguins. There is something in their seemingly awkward gait, waddling from foot to foot, that attracts human attention. Besides, penguins are one of the 40 known species flightless birds.

Initially, people called penguins great auks (Pinguinus impennis), which were once found in huge quantities on the northern shores of the Atlantic Ocean. This had nothing to do with penguins living in the Southern Hemisphere, but in appearance they were very similar to them and occupied the same ecological niche like penguins.

Such a men's evening outfit as a tuxedo was quite likely invented by fashion designers, spying on the “outfit” of a penguin, during the time of all-round discoveries. This coloring, according to biologists, helps birds hide from the enemy in the sea. The penguin's body is ideal for swimming, and its small fin-like wings and paws are perfect for quick maneuvers underwater.

After the end of the military conflict that occurred in 1982 between England and Argentina, a mythical story arose about penguins living on the Falkland Islands, which fall on their backs due to the fact that they raise their heads high, looking at low-flying planes and are no longer able to rise back on their own. on your feet. Gradually, the rumor grew with “details”, for example, that “penguin flippers” had appeared - a special unit of military personnel who save overturned birds from dying. The most interesting thing is that due to the inflated fears of the compassionate public, a group of British scientists in 2001 conducted a long-term study in Antarctica. However, throughout the entire period, she did not record a single case of penguins capsizing when aircraft approached.

Many people think that penguins only live in Antarctica or cold climate areas adjacent to open sea Southern Hemisphere. But contrary to popular belief, the Galapagos Islands, located almost on the equator, are home to a special type of penguin called the Galapagos penguin. The water temperature here all year round is +22...+24 °C, and the air temperature is +18...+28 °C. In addition, penguins can be easily spotted in Sydney and North Harbor, Australia. It turns out that there are also heat-loving penguins!

Subantarctic penguins are the fastest waterfowl, reaching speeds of 36 km per hour. Emperor penguins can stay underwater for up to 18 minutes.

The emperor penguin is the only bird that lays eggs in midwinter. She does this so early so that the babies hatch faster. After all, they need spring, summer and fall to grow stronger and become large enough to survive the next winter.

Emperor penguins exhibit communal behavior. To keep warm in cold weather they gather in a large dense group, the temperature inside of which sometimes reaches +35 °C at an ambient temperature of -20 °C. For “even heating,” the birds constantly move from the center to the edge and vice versa.

King penguin chicks (lat. Aptenodytes patagonicus) hatch from eggs naked and acquire feathers in only a few weeks. The chick is not able to survive without its parents until it grows waterproof feathers, and this happens only 12-13 months after its birth.

There are very few natural materials in cold regions and, therefore, Adélie penguins create their nests for laying and incubating eggs from pebbles. Neighboring pairs, when other penguins are distracted, do not hesitate to steal their stones. Some female penguins engage in “prostitution” for stones, although they have a regular partner. They seek out lone males who make their nests out of pebbles in hopes of starting a family, allow them to mate with them, and then take a few rocks with them to their nest.

As a child, Linus Torvalds was bitten by a penguin while visiting the zoo. Therefore the penguin Tux (correct Russian pronunciation- Dachshund) became the mascot of the operating system Linux.

Scientists for a long time could not understand the reason for the origin unusual site grass in the shape of a two-meter letter M on one of the islands of harsh Antarctica. One Chilean researcher claims that this “letter” was laid out several years ago by a Polish scientist from penguin excrement, in honor of his lover named Magda.

The penguin is the only bird in our world that can swim, but cannot fly. In addition, this is the only bird that moves on land while standing.

It turns out that penguins are not the most frost-resistant birds. Ducks and geese are least afraid of the cold. They are able to withstand temperatures down to -110 °C, but only for a short time. The emperor penguin can withstand temperatures down to -60 °C.

A separate species of penguin with long yellow feathers near the eyes and a lively temperament is called rocky, because these birds quite often jump on rocks.

The fastest swimmers of all penguin species are gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua). They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 36 km/h underwater. It is one of the Antarctic penguin species first described by Johann Reinhold Forster, an explorer and naturalist who accompanied Captain Cook on one of his recent travels 18th century. One of the varieties of the Linux operating system - Gentoo - was named in honor of these "fast-movers".

The Patagonian penguin can swim for 2-3 weeks. At the same time, it covers a distance of almost 1,500 kilometers.

The most major representatives Of all the penguin species, king penguins are the most common. The weight of an adult bird ranges from 27-41 kg, and its height reaches 1.2 meters.

Parental responsibilities emperor penguins distributed as follows. The male incubates the eggs, and the female forages for food. After the chick hatches from the egg, the father feeds it with a kind of liquid that is produced in the section of its esophagus.

Every year, during the molting period, which takes 2-3 weeks, penguins shed their feathers, in their place new ones grow. Penguins spend a lot of time grooming their feathers to keep them cool and attractive.

There is a species of Magellanic penguin that was named after Ferdinand Magellan, who was the first European to discover it in 1520. Magellanic penguins live in the strait that separates the island of Tierra del Fuego from the mainland of South America. This strait is also named after its discoverer.

Penguins are capable of diving very deeply. But what are they looking for at a depth of one and a half kilometers? Japanese biologists installed cameras on the backs of these animals. It is known that Sun rays are able to penetrate to a depth of only 150 meters, so it is not yet known what these birds do at a depth of one and a half kilometers.

Most male and female penguins are virtually identical in appearance from each other. But, during the mating season, the females develop dirty spots on their backs, which are left by the male during the mating process.

The stone penguin has the most evil character. Birds of this species are very noisy and aggressive.

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