RP260 Penguins

 RP260 Penguins

What can fly underwater, go without food for months, and do it all in a tuxedo? The penguin, of course.

Penguins live in the southern hemisphere, including in Antarctica. The 17-20 penguin species are scattered from Antarctica up as far north as the Galapagos Islands. No penguins can fly, but they are all excellent swimmers. They can swim up to 25 miles per hour using their powerful paddle muscles and aerodynamic shape. They are such good swimmers, in fact, that early explorers thought they were fish. They do seem to fly gracefully underwater, having evolved to catch fish and other sea creatures to eat. They spend half of their lives in the water. During the half they spend on land, they look awkward, waddling on short legs or pushing themselves along on their stomachs with their flippers.

The tuxedo that penguins seem to wear comes from their markings. The classic image of a penguin is of a sleek creature with a black head, wings, and back, and a white belly. Almost all penguins fit this description, though the fairy penguin of Australia and New Zealand is blue instead of black.

Penguins can perform amazing feats. Emperor penguins, the largest species, mate in the coldest environment of any bird species, at temperatures down to-40 degrees Celsius. Not only do they fight the cold to mate, but the males then use their feet to hold their eggs for two months to keep them warm. They don't eat, or move from land; they just protect their eggs. It's one of nature's most amazing acts. Emperor penguins, like other penguin species, stay warm because of their windproof and waterproof feathers and a thick layer of fat that insulates them from the intense cold.

Penguins are an unusual product of evolution. Ridiculous on land, but agile in the water; winged but flightless; laid by females but protected by males. These contradictions make them a weird but wonderful addition to the animal kingdom.