Mark Hudson

You now know that penguins can’t fly, but they can propel themselves through the water at high speeds thanks to their adapted wings. While ancient penguins may have had the ability to fly, this ability has slowly left the birds through evolution. Penguins’ wings have instead become better evolved as flippers. For their size, penguins … Read more

Penguins rub oil from a gland onto their feathers to help make them waterproof and windproof. Even so, penguins often need help to stay warm. In photos and video, you’ll often see groups of penguins huddled shoulder to shoulder with their wings tight against their body keeping each other warm. Penguin chicks, however, do not … Read more

Most of the penguins living in the extreme cold climate of Antarctica have particular adaptations that have enabled them to survive in these harsh environments. Penguins have a layer of fat beneath the skin, which helps them keep warm, and it also serves as a source of energy. How do penguins survive in the Cold? … Read more

Penguins, being birds, don’t have “milk” like mammals do. Instead, they produce this secretion which is sometimes called crop milk. This is a fatty, high protein food that is developed in their crop (a pouch in their throat) and given to chicks during key developmental stages. By this crop milk, baby penguins can sustain for … Read more

All 18 species of penguin are carnivores, smaller penguin species are considered to be piscivores as their diet consists mainly of fish. Overall, penguins eat krill, squid, fish, crustaceans, jellyfish, and Amphipods. Diets vary slightly between species, which reduces food competition. Another thing we wondered was, why are penguins called piscivores? Since bigger species of … Read more

Penguins can control the direction of their body feathers to release air bubbles and reduce water drag. This momentarily increases their swimming speeds. This is exactly what penguins do to jump out of the water at 5-9 feet height. While penguins do hunt for food for most of the day, they spend their days doing … Read more

Emperor penguins have to dive deep in search of their favorite preys, lanternfish and squids. The species adapted, increasing its ability to store oxygen and control its consumption level. Penguins’ Oxygen Trick: How They Survive Deep Dives An Emperor penguin dives through a hole into the water below Antarctica’s Mc. Murdo Sound sea ice. They … Read more

Penguins either waddle on their feet or slide on their bellies across the snow while using their feet to propel and steer themselves, a movement called “tobogganing”, which conserves energy while moving quickly. They also jump with both feet together if they want to move more quickly or cross steep or rocky terrain. What is … Read more

Despite their cartoon-like physique, penguins are extremely difficult to domesticate. Generally speaking, they are not considered affectionate, especially not toward members of other species (humans included). So getting penguins for your zoo and hoping children could pet them and take cute photos with them is absolutely out of the question. Is the domesticated penguin related … Read more

Since penguins have little to no land predators, a penguin’s survival hinges primarily on its ability to maintain its body temperature. Penguins’ day activities mainly encompass diving into the ocean for foraging or finding potential mates during the breeding season. This animal loves to swim and will plop into the water for exercise. They can … Read more