Emperor Penguin

1. Emperor Penguin

2. Facts About Emperor Penguin • Habitat • they are found in Antarctica and breed in ancestral areas called colonies which can contain few hundred or more than 20,000 pairs. Colonies are located on fast ice (frozen sea) situated between islands or grounded icebergs.

3. Facts About Emperor Penguin • Diet • they are capable of diving for extensive periods, making them excellent hunters. • they dive up to 250m deep and can stay under water for three to six minutes at a time as they chase fish, krill and squid. They prefer small prey because it will be extremely cold when swallowed, making it easier to heat to body temperature and digest.

4. Facts About Emperor Penguin • Diet • an emperor penguin’s diet changes according to the season but, generally, they feed on small-to-medium-sized prey of up to about 20cm long.

5. Facts About Emperor Penguin • Breeding • they travel 90km inland to their breeding sites, walking in a single line or sliding over the ice on their bellies. • they are the only animal to breed during the Antarctic winter. When they arrive at the breeding site, males and females “sing” to attract a mate, memorizing their mate’s unique song.

6. Facts About Emperor Penguin • Breeding • the female lays one 450g egg, deftly sliding it on to her feet to transfer the egg to the male’s brood pouch, an abdominal fold of skin between the legs and stomach. • the female returns to the sea to feed, while the male incubates the egg for about 65 days, surviving on his fat reserves.

7. Facts About Emperor Penguin • Insulation • the emperor penguin’s first line of defense is layers of overlapping, waterproof feathers. Surprisingly, the penguin’s triple-layered plumage resembling scales more than feathers is only 12mm thick. A layer of fat under the skin provides the remaining one-third of the animal’s insulation requirements.