Except when they pant like a dog, penguins are really economical with water. They don’t perspire and only excrete uric acid, a white paste-like, poor in water and concentrated waste. They don’t urinate like mammals because this would be a waste of water.
Penguins mainly get their water from melted ice or from rivers where possible. They can also stay hydrated by eating snow. If fresh water like this is scarce, they can also drink saltwater where they live. Their special sweat glands above their eyes help to purify this water.
Can penguins swim in water?
If we do some research on penguins’ life, we can see that swimming is necessary for penguins therefore most of the species of penguins are swimmers however with the exception of some species of penguins that live in total dry places don’t need to swim. Therefore, we can conclude that nearly all species of penguins can swim in water.
Penguins need to dive under water in order catch their food in the ocean. However, penguins need oxygen to breathe under water. Most species of penguins’ dives have been seen to be for about 6 minutes, as their prey is mostly found in the upper layer of water. However, the Emperor Penguin feeds on squid, fish or krill that are found deep.
Some species of penguin like the Gentoos love to swim underneath the water for only 2 minutes and then come out for a small breathing break on the water’s surface for around 40 seconds. With the help of these techniques, the Penguins can swim around 4 miles to 6 miles in one single hour.
Why do penguins swim?
Penguins are birds that mainly consume small fish, sea life, squids and small shrimplike animals called “krill” and crustaceans. These are mainly found in water. So to search for its food, a penguin has to dive in water for which it swims. There can also be other reasons for penguins to dive in water and swim.
With such a high demand for food, penguins tend to form colonies near highly productive waters. Upwelling brings cold, nutrient rich waters to the surface where phytoplankton (at the base of the food chain) bloom and feed the fish, krill, and squid that penguins eat.
What do penguins do for food?
Most can be found munching on squid and krill – their favorite meals. Penguins will use a small hook on their bill to catch their food and then swallow it whole. For hydration, penguins will hike through the snow and fill their beak with it for water or visit the sea and scoop up water in their mouth.
How do Penguins Hunt?
Penguins are instantly recognizable and our favorite birds. They spend up to 75% of their lives in the water searching for their food. They do all of their hunting in water. Their prey can be found within 60 feet of the surface, so penguins do not need to swim in deep water. They catch prey in their beaks and swallow them entirely as they swim.
Can a penguin fly?
Actually if we notice we can see that a penguin has a body of a bird. So they are birds that cannot fly but can swim pretty well. As penguins are birds, they have wings. With wings and a streamlined body as an addition, penguins are able to swim really well. So one can say that a penguin flies in water.