Page 159 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Penguins
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45. They swim
at six miles
per hour
On average penguins swim at six
miles (9.7 kilometres) per hour,
however when hunting or being
chased by predators this spikes
massively, with certain species
frequently hitting over 20 miles
(32 kilometres) per hour.

46. Humans
ate penguins
KING PENGUIN During the early explorations of
Aptenodytes patagonicus the Antarctic, human explorers
Class Aves ate penguins as a food source.
They reportedly had very fatty
and oily meat, but today penguin
consumption is forbidden.
Territory Subantarctic islands
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan 15-20 years 47. They don’t
Speed demon Adult weight 11-16kg / 24-35lbs
Most penguins waddle when Conservation Status fear humans
on land, but the king penguin Due to their general remoteness
walks, enabling it to travel at
up to 3.5 miles per hour. from human populations and
LEAST CONCERN their activities, penguins seem to
be completely unafraid of them,
43. The king is a fast walker o en being greatly intrigued.

48. Penguins
The king penguin is notable for being the second with St. Andrew’s Bay on South Georgia frequently
largest of all penguin species, measuring up to a witnessing more than 100,000 birds at any one are preyed
metre in height. It’s also capable of diving down time. On a breeding note, the king penguin is upon by killer
to 300 metres (984 feet) in ocean waters and also interesting as it’s one of the earliest capable
remaining there hunting and foraging for a rather of reproducing, with individuals able to start the whales
lengthy five minutes. Also, rather than waddling on process from the age of three onwards, but most Penguins are o en preyed

land like all other penguin species, king penguins waiting a further three years before mating. upon by a variety of creatures
can walk and run properly due to adaptations in The king also has one of the longest breeding including leopard seals, sea lions
their leg anatomy, with speeds up to 5.6 kilometres cycles, with up to 16 months necessary to raise a and killer whales. They are also a
(3.5 miles) per hour recorded. chick from egg-laying through to fl edging status. target for large birds, ferrets and
King penguins are also known for congregating Female kings always lay a single egg that weighs even lizards.
in some of the Earth’s largest penguin colonies, approximately 300 grams (10.6 ounces).
49. The
emperor is the
fi fth heaviest
bird on Earth
Not only is the emperor penguin
the heaviest penguin in the

world, but it’s also the fi h
heaviest bird of any species on
Earth, weighing in at a rather
beefy 45 kilograms (100 pounds).
50. They
spend 75%
44. Penguins create a of their lives
bubble boost when swimming
underwater
Penguins can swim at great speeds thanks to an ability to generate a stream Rather than primarily being a

of bubbles in their wake. These come from the penguin fluffi ng its tightly
Bubbly wake land-dwelling fl ightless bird,
packed feathers, an action that creates a series of micro bubbles to reduce Penguins create this penguins actually spend 75 per © Ardea; Thinkstock; FLPA; Getty; Naturepl.com
the density of the water immediately surrounding the bird’s plumage. stream of bubbles that cent of their lives underwater,
reduces water density
Whenever a penguin travels at high speed, a visible stream of bubbles
around their plumage. only really coming onto land for

can be seen surrounding their bodies and trailing off. This technique is o en long periods to breed.
used when exiting the ocean.
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