Penguin pencil case

Penguin

Ok, ok, observing my bobbing walk across the ice, one could think I am the clumsy type. And it’s true, but on land only! Once in the water, it’s a different story… I may be a bird, but I cannot fly. I can however dive to depths of over 500 metres and swim hundreds of kilometres to feed.

My colony lives in Antarctica, at the South Pole. It is extremely cold there, but thanks to my dense plumage and a thick layer of fat I manage to keep warm even when temperatures plummet to -60ºC! Females lay one egg and leave it to the males who put it on their feet. But be careful! This is a dangerous operation: the ground is so cold the embryo would die instantly should the shell touch the ice… All males have to do then is wait patiently for about 60 days, without eating, to see their offspring. Females, having gone to find food, will only be back after they have hatched.

As for all animals living on the ice, global warming is a big threat. Dwindling stocks of the fish I eat due to human industrial fishing is another danger, for my species and all inhabitants of the ocean alike.

Learn more about me