10 Cool things about Penguins!

Penguins have become quite popular around the world and in the media these days, but there are still a lot of interesting facts about penguins that the average person does not know. Here are 10 cool and interesting facts about these beautiful and cuddly creatures.

1. Penguins can drink salt water.

Penguins can drink salt water because they have special supraorbital glands around their eye sockets that filter excess salt from the bloodstream. The salt is excreted in a concentrated fluid from the nasal passages (grooves in their bill).



2. There are 17 living species of penguins.

In alphabetical order the common names along with their species names are as follows:

Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae)
African penguins (Spheniscus demersus)
Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica)
Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri)
Erect-crested penguins (Eudyptes sclateri)
Fiordland penguins (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)
Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus)
Gentoo penguins(Pygoscelis papua)
Humboldt penguins(Spheniscus humboldti)
King penguins(Aptenodytes atagonicus)
Little (Blue) penguins(Eudyptula minor)
Macaroni penguins(Eudyptes chrysolophus)
Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus)
Rockhopper penguins(Eudyptes chrysocome)
Royal penguins(Eudyptes schlegeli)
Snares penguins(Eudyptes robustus) Yellow-eyed penguins(Megadyptes antipodes).




3. Penguins are warm blooded.

Penguins are birds, and birds are warm blooded, just like people. They have a normal body temperature of about 100 degrees F. Due to extreme temperatures where you will see Penguins live, you will often see groups of penguins huddled together helping each other to stay warm. Their bodies also help with an insulated, thick layer of blubber and a dense network of waterproof plumage.



4. Emperor Penguins are the most well known of all the Penguins.

The Most popular penguin is the Emperor Penguin. these are the penguins that were showcased in the hit movie, "Happy Feet". The Emperor Penguin is the largest living species of penguins, it can hold its breath for up to 20 minutes and it is known to endure the harshest conditions on earth in its home in the Antarctic. The Emperor Penguin raises its chicks in the coldest, darkest months when temperatures can reach as low as -60c.


5. The smallest penguin is called the Little Blue Penguin.

The Little Blue Penguin, also known as the Fairy Penguin is the smallest of the penguin species. The head and upper parts of its body are indigo in color and its size is approximately 43 cm (16 in) tall weighing about 1 kg (2.2 lb). They can be found along the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand and have an average lifespan of 6.5 years.



6. The Yellow-eyed Penguin is the rarest of all penguins.

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is thought to be the rarest of all penguins. Yellow-eyed Penguins are currently considered Endangered – their population had dwindled due to destruction of their habitat along the coastline of New Zealand – however new conservation efforts are now in place.



7. The Chinstrap Penguins are some of the boldest and most aggressive penguins.

They often are found living in large colonies on icebergs in the open sea. They get their name from a small black band that goes around their heads which gives the impression that they are wearing a helmet.



8. The Snares Island Penguin is the only type of penguin known to build their nests in trees.

The Snares Island Penguin found on the forested beaches of the remote Snares Islands located off the southern coast of New Zealand have been known to build their nests in trees.



9. A nest of penguin eggs is called a clutch.

Clutch is the term that referes to a nest of penguin eggs. These "clutches" normally contain two eggs which offers a better chance of at least one chick surviving. The exception to the two eggs scenario is with the Emperor and King Penguins which only lay one egg at a time.



10. The Galapagos Penguin is the only penguin species which actually lives in the tropics.

The Galapagos Penguin lives on the islands of the Galapagos off the coast of Ecuador on the equator, where the temperature can rise to 38c (100f). In order to remain cool they swim and hunt in the cold waters of the Humboldt Current during the day and sleep and nest on land during the cool nights. They hold their flippers out to allow the heat to escape their body and will cover their feet with their flippers to prevent them getting sunburned.


To hang out and play games with a cool animated penguin called Joey and his Antarctic friends please come and visit www.joeythepenguin.com