Penguins frequently shake their heads to get the salt off their beaks, or they sneeze out the excess. In general, however, penguins don’t drink seawater to hydrate themselves. They usually drink from fresh water sources such as pools and snowmelt, or they eat fresh snow, in order to get an adequate amount of water.
This is what our research found. They can drink salt water because their supraorbital gland filters excess salt from the bloodstream. The salt is excreted in a concentrated fluid from the nasal passages. The great auk of the Northern Hemisphere, now extinct, was superficially similar to penguins, and the word penguin was originally used for that bird, centuries ago.
The supraorbital gland serves only one purpose — to filter salt from the blood — so it’s not used when penguins drink only fresh water. There are no health problems associated with penguins taking a clear drink, hold the salt.
Penguins are specially designed to process saltwater, even though their bodies don’t need more salt than other animals. They have a supraorbital gland located near their eyes that filters salt out of their systems. Their blood travels through the gland, which traps the salt before it travels through their bodes.
Can birds drink the water in the ocean?
There is plenty of water around, but none to drink . Saltwater worsens dehydration. But many marine birds—such as penguins, gulls, albatrosses, and pelicans—have built-in water desalination filters.
Saltwater worsens dehydration. But many marine birds—such as penguins, gulls, albatrosses, and pelicans—have built-in water desalination filters. With salt glands and ducts connected to their bills that rid their bodies of excess salts, these birds can drink seawater straight up or eat prey, such as squid and crabs, that are as salty as seawater.
How do gulls drink seawater?
With salt glands and ducts connected to their bills that rid their bodies of excess salts, these birds can drink seawater straight up or eat prey, such as squid and crabs, that are as salty as seawater. Comparative physiologist Knut Schmidt-Nielsen studied the functions of salt glands in Great Black-backed Gulls more than 50 years ago.
In one experiment, a gull ingested about 1/10 of its body mass in seawater (the equivalent of a 150-pound human drinking about 2 gallons of seawater, more than a lethal amount).
Why don’t Penguins Pee?
So penguins don’t pee, but they do have sweat glands that work to sort of filter out the excess salt they have in their systems. While humans sweat partly to maintain homeostasis related to body temperature, the primary function in a penguin is to rid itself of excess salt which would be harmful to the penguin.
Also, do Penguins sweat?
Yes penguins do sweat. Their sweat glands are in a rather unusual place, situated above their eyes. As penguins don’t produce urine, any excess salt they may have from the food they eat or the water they drink is purified by these sweat glands and is passed through it’s bill or beak as bile.