Penguins are animals that spend 75% of their lives in water. How do they cope with saltwater? Well, they have a special supraorbital gland under their eyes that filters the saltwater, and they excrete the byproducts through sneezing or through their beak. 1)
When weather conditions are not favorable, e.g. when it is snowing or it is very cold, penguins line up next to each other and turn their backs to the wind. They can spend in this position even several hours without eating. Sometimes (so that everyone is warmed up equally) they exchange places - those which were on the outside go inside, and those which were in the middle go outside. In addition, they are protected from losing heat by a thick layer of fat under the skin and a large number of feathers, which are arranged in a tiled close together. 2)
Penguins are birds that cannot fly. In the past, however, they were able to do so, but because of the conditions in which they live, they have forgotten how to do it. They do not need it. Much more useful for them is the ability to swim, thanks to which they can hunt for fish. They can dive almost half a mile, and they can spend 25 minutes underwater. 3)
The white and black coloration of the penguin is not accidental. The black color on their backs allows them to camouflage themselves better in the water. However, there are exceptions to every rule - one penguin in fifty thousand is born with brown coloration. A penguin with the brown coloration is not only worse off and an easier bite for lurking predators, but is also (usually) single and has trouble finding a mate 4)
Penguins are not able to bite the food, so they occasionally swallow a stone, which is transported to the stomach and crushed there. Such nutrition does not harm them. On the contrary, stones make the digestion process go faster, and with the extra weight in the stomach, they are able to dive much deeper. 5)
The penguin was first described in the sixteenth century when it was thought to be a rather strange goose. 6)
The short tail is an important part of the penguin's body because it acts as a rudder in the water. 7)
The smallest species in the penguin family is the Little Blue penguin. These babies are about 40 centimeters tall and weigh about 1.1 kilograms. 8)
The eggs laid by penguins are kept under a thick layer of fat on their abdomens. 9)
Penguins may huddle together for several reasons. This behavior helps these birds protect themselves from predators. In cold habitats, cuddling helps keep them warm. 10)
Unlike many popular cartoons, you will never see penguins and polar bears together in the wild. That's because penguins live south of the equator and polar bears live north of the equator. 11)
Penguins, like humans, are ticklish and react to them as humans do. 12)
The largest species is the emperor penguin, which can reach up to 40 in. 13)
Each year the penguin loses its plumage, which grows back after a few weeks. 14)
To save their energy, penguins toboggan, and that means sliding on their stomachs instead of walking. 15)
The penguin's tongue is imbued with small spines that make it much easier for it to hold onto the fish it catches. 16)