Penguins: interesting facts. Interesting facts about penguins. Where do they live, what do they eat and how do penguins sleep? Presentation on the topic penguin for informatics

Penguins include 17 species. The entire body of penguins is evenly covered with feathers. The forelimbs are modified into wings-fins, the legs are shifted back. Penguins feed in the sea, catching small fish, molluscs, and crustaceans. They spend a lot of time in the water, even the body color of penguins is similar to aquatic life: the underside is light, the top is dark. The largest is considered to be the emperor penguin with a height of about 120 cm, weighing about 45 kg. It breeds on the ice off the coast of Antarctica.

Penguins can stand upright because their webbed feet are located at the very end of their torso. This also makes them such fast and strong swimmers, especially when combined with paddle-shaped wings. Penguins have short and thick legs located far behind the center of gravity. For this reason, they can only walk with their bodies upright, in short steps. If it is necessary to move faster, they lie on their belly and glide like on a sleigh, pushing off the snow with flipper wings and legs.

Emperor penguins are the largest of all penguins. Their height reaches 1.1 m, and their weight is from 27 to 41 kg. How do emperor penguins cooperate to keep warm? Emperor penguins cooperate to keep warm, they gather in dense groups, the temperature inside which can reach +35 °C at an ambient temperature of 20 °C. In order for everyone to be on an equal footing, penguins are constantly moving from the center to the edge and back.

Which penguins live at temperatures above 20 ° C all year round? Not all penguins live in Antarctica or its surrounding cold climates. On the Galapagos Islands, which are located almost on the equator, there is a species called the Galapagos penguins. Here the water temperature is °C all year round and the air temperature is °C.

Is there a profession of a penguin flipper? After the 1982 military conflict between England and Argentina, a story appeared about the Falkland Islands penguins, who fall on their backs from raising their heads on low-flying planes or helicopters and are unable to get back on their feet. As time went on, the rumor grew into details, including the emergence of a new profession called "penguin flipper", a special serviceman who saves capsized birds from dying. Public fears became so high that in 2001 a group of British scientists conducted a long-term study in Antarctica, during which they did not record a single case of a penguin falling when a helicopter approached.

What do penguins do at a depth of one and a half kilometers? Japanese biologists have installed cameras on the backs of animals that spend a long time in the depths of the sea. As the authors of the project explain, the sun's rays penetrate only 150 meters deep into the ocean, so it is still unknown what they are doing at a depth of half a kilometer, for example, emperor penguins or seals, which can dive one and a half kilometers.

For many, penguins are funny inhabitants of the snowy, coldest regions of the planet. Thanks to their shape, rather unusual gait and fluffy coat, they seem cute, which is why they so often become heroes of children's cartoons. But in fact, these creatures are very hardy, because they live in far from easy conditions. Over the years of research, scientists have collected many different interesting facts about penguins.

1. The biggest nightmare for penguins is killer whales. Huge predatory creatures resembling something between a shark and a whale, they love penguin meat. Therefore, when they do not know whether there is an underwater enemy nearby or not, they crowd for a very long time at the edge of the cliff, not daring to jump into the water. This happens until one person takes courage, and if, having found himself in the water, he remains alive, then only after him will everyone else follow.

2. An interesting fact about penguins for children is that not all of them live within the poles. Representatives of the species are known that live on the Galapagos Islands, islands where the average temperature is 18 degrees Celsius.

4. Another interesting fact about emperor penguins is that among many others they stand out for their monogamy. Having chosen a couple once, they remain together for the rest of their lives.

5. These animals are really not afraid of cold water. They are saved from it by a rather thick layer of fat, as well as feathers that are adjacent to each other without any gaps.

6. An interesting fact about Adélie penguins. Sometimes the layer of fat in their body is so large that it can lead to overheating. In such cases, they can be found in a funny pose, while standing, they spread their legs as much as possible in different directions - this allows you to get rid of the exhausting excess heat much faster.

7. Penguins take great care of their future offspring, even when they have not yet hatched. This was once tested by a small group of researchers in their own experience. Having got close to the masonry, they stole one egg and decided to eat it when they returned to the camp. The creatures silently pursued them all the way, without attacking or screaming at the same time, just not a step behind. Unable to resist, the kidnappers gave them the egg back, unable to endure their constant presence any longer.

8. An interesting fact about penguins for children - they walk in an upright position, they only walk in the snow. As for the ice, they lie on it with their stomachs down and glide, helping themselves with their paws and wings.

9. They do not experience any need for fresh water. Regardless of the species, these creatures quench their thirst with salt water without fear of life, because they have special glands that act as filters.

10. Among the interesting facts about king penguins is their rare hunting. Together they gather to profit only once every two weeks. They eat to satiety, and after that they don’t eat anything at all until the next trip for fish, they only drink, maintaining water balance. During this period, they tend to lose almost half their own weight.

Many of us love looking at penguins. In their seemingly clumsy gait, waddling from foot to foot, there is something that attracts human attention. In addition, penguins are one of the 40 known species of flightless birds.

Initially, people called penguins wingless auks (Pinguinus impennis), which were once found in huge numbers on the northern shores of the Atlantic Ocean. This one had nothing to do with penguins living in the Southern Hemisphere, but outwardly they looked very much like them and occupied the same ecological niche like the penguins.

Such a men's evening outfit, like a tuxedo, was quite likely invented by fashion designers, having peeped at the "outfit" of a penguin, during the time of the Universal Discoveries. Such coloring, according to biologists, helps birds hide from the enemy in the sea. The penguin's body is ideal for swimming, and its small fin-like wings and paws are great for quick maneuvers underwater.

After the end of the military conflict that occurred in 1982 between England and Argentina, a mythical story arose about penguins living in the Falkland Islands, who fall on their backs due to the fact that they lift their heads high, looking at low-flying aircraft and are no longer able to climb back on their own. on your feet. Gradually, the rumor acquired "details", for example, that "penguin flippers" appeared - a special unit of military personnel who save capsized birds from dying. The most interesting thing is that due to the inflated fears of a compassionate public, a group of British scientists in 2001 conducted a long-term study in Antarctica. However, throughout the entire period, she did not record a single case of capsizing penguins when aircraft approached.

Many people think that penguins are only found in Antarctica or the cold climates adjacent to the open seas of the Southern Hemisphere. But contrary to popular belief, on the Galapagos Islands, located almost on the equator, there is a special kind of penguin called the Galapagos penguin. The water temperature here all year round is +22...+24 °C, and the air temperature is +18...+28 °C. In addition, penguins can be easily spotted in Australian Sydney and North Harbor. It turns out that there are also heat-loving penguins!

Subantarctic penguins are the fastest waterfowl, reaching speeds of 36 km per hour. Emperor penguins can stay underwater for up to 18 minutes.

The emperor penguin is the only bird that lays its eggs in the middle of winter. She does it so early so that the babies hatch faster. After all, they need spring, summer and autumn to grow strong and become large enough to survive the next winter.

Emperor penguins have a collective behavior. In order to keep warm in cold weather, they gather in a large dense group, the temperature inside which sometimes reaches +35 ° C at an ambient temperature of -20 ° C. For "even heating", the birds constantly move from the center to the edge and vice versa.

King penguin chicks (lat. Aptenodytes patagonicus) hatch from eggs naked and grow feathers in just a few weeks. The chick is not able to survive without parents until it grows waterproof feathers, and this happens only 12-13 months after its birth.

Natural materials are scarce in cold climes and therefore Adélie penguins create their nests for laying and incubating eggs from pebbles. Neighboring pairs, when other penguins are distracted, do not hesitate to steal their stones. Some of the female penguins are engaged in "prostitution" for the sake of stones, although they have a permanent partner. They seek out solitary males who make their nests of pebbles in the hope of starting a family, allow them to mate with them, and then take a few stones with them to their nest.

As a child, Linus Torvalds was bitten by a penguin during his trip to the zoo. Therefore, the Tux penguin (the correct Russian pronunciation is Tax) became the mascot of the Linux operating system he created.

For a long time, scientists could not understand the reason for the origin of an unusual piece of grass in the form of a two-meter letter M on one of the islands of harsh Antarctica. One Chilean researcher claims that this “letter” was laid out several years ago by a Polish scientist from penguin excrement, in honor of his beloved Magda.

The penguin is the only bird in our world that can swim but cannot fly. In addition, it is the only bird that moves on land while standing.

It turns out that penguins are not the most frost-resistant birds. Ducks and geese are the least afraid of the cold. They are able to withstand temperatures down to -110 ° C, but for a short time. The emperor penguin is able to withstand frost down to -60 ° C.

A separate species of penguin with long yellow feathers near the eyes and a lively temperament is called rocky, because these birds quite often jump on rocks.

The fastest swimmers of all penguin species are gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua). They are capable of speeds up to 36 km/h underwater. It is one of the Antarctic penguin species first described by Johann Reinhold Forster, an explorer and naturalist who accompanied Captain Cook on one of his last 18th century voyages. In honor of these "fast walkers" one of the varieties of the Linux operating system, Gentoo, was named.

The Patagonian penguin is able to swim for 2-3 weeks. At the same time, it covers a distance of almost 1500 kilometers.

The largest of all penguin species are the king penguins. The weight of an adult bird is in the range of 27-41 kg, and the height reaches 1.2 meters.

Parental responsibilities for emperor penguins are distributed as follows. The male incubates the eggs, while the female provides food. After the chick hatches from the egg, the father feeds him with a peculiar liquid that is produced in the section of his esophagus.

Every year, during the molting period, which takes 2-3 weeks, penguins shed feathers, in place of which new ones grow. Penguins spend a lot of time grooming their feathers to stay cool and attractive.

There is a species of Magellanic penguin, which was named after Fernand Magellan, who was the first European to discover it in 1520. Magellanic penguins live in the strait that separates the island of Tierra del Fuego from the mainland of South America. This strait is also named after the discoverer.

Penguins can dive very deep. But what are they looking for at a depth of one and a half kilometers? Japanese biologists have installed cameras on the backs of these animals. It is known that the sun's rays are able to penetrate to a depth of only 150 meters, so it is not yet known what these birds are doing at a depth of one and a half kilometers.

Most male and female penguins practically do not differ in appearance from each other. But, during the mating season, the females have dirty spots on their backs, which the male leaves during the mating process.

The stone penguin has the most evil character. Birds of this species are very noisy and aggressive.

Penguins (lat. Spheniscidae) are a unique family of birds, which includes about 20 species. They are distinguished by their inability to fly, but at the same time, excellent ability to dive and swim under water, as well as adaptability to life in extremely cold regions of the planet.

king penguins

The Russian word "penguin" is derived from the English "penguin", regarding the origin of which, in turn, there are several versions. According to the first version, the name comes from the Welsh "pengwyn" (translated as "white head"), which in the sailor's environment denoted another animal - the extinct wingless auk. The external similarity of these two birds could lead to an erroneous name, which was fixed in the everyday life of sailors, and then spilled over into the scientific community. Supporters of the second version argue that the word "penguin" comes from the Latin "pinguis" (translated as "fat") as a reference to the appearance of animals. It is likely that both approaches took place in reality.

The wingless auk (photo above), at first glance, was really quite similar to penguins, but had no family connection with them. The wingless auk became one of the first birds on Earth completely destroyed by people (hunting was carried out for meat, eggs and fluff). The last meeting of a person with this bird, according to scientists, took place in the middle of the 19th century.

For the first time, Europeans learned about penguins from the stories of the Portuguese navigators Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan only at the beginning of the 16th century.

Different types of penguins differ quite a lot in height (from 30 to 120 cm) and weight (from 1 to 50 kg). There is a pattern: the colder the region, the larger the dimensions. The largest penguins, such as the emperor, live on ice floes around Antarctica. Populations of the smallest penguins (for example, the so-called little penguins, which weigh about 1 kg) live on the coast of Australia and New Zealand.

The ancestors of penguins were much larger than modern individuals. About 37-45 million years ago, the giant penguin Anthropornis lived on Earth, its height was 180 cm, weight was about 90-100 kg. Characteristics of the largest of modern species - the emperor penguin: height is about 120 cm, weight is up to 55 kg.

The stocky bodies of penguins have a streamlined shape, which helps them successfully move underwater. The average speed of movement under water is about 10 km/h. At short distances, some types of penguins show even more impressive results. For example, the gentoo penguin, which is the fastest member of the family, reaches a speed of 35 km / h! Typically, penguins are able to spend under water continuously for about 1-1.5 minutes and dive to a depth of 20 meters. The record holder in diving is the emperor penguin: up to 18 minutes underwater, over 500 meters deep!

Penguins often leave the water with a jump up to 2 meters high, which allows them to immediately be on the shore. On land, penguins look very awkward: they move, waddling from side to side, saving energy and heat. Penguins use every opportunity to make their walking path easier and faster, for example, they often move down slides on their stomachs. Take a look at this funny video, which is a good description of how penguins move on land.

Penguins are as amazing swimmers and divers as their bird cousins ​​are in the air. However, water resistance is much higher than air resistance, which predetermines the developed muscles of penguins: their muscle mass is about 30% of the total body weight, which is several times higher than the largest and most powerful flying birds (condor, harpy, etc.). In addition, the structure of bones distinguishes penguins from other birds. While most birds have tubular bones that lighten the weight of the animal for faster movement in the air and on land, the bones of penguins are unusually dense and do not contain cavities, which resembles the structure of the bones of some marine mammals (dolphin, seal, etc.).

Pictured above is the coast of South Africa. Spectacled penguins live on the coast of South Africa and Namibia. Penguins on the coast of hot Africa are kept by the cold Antarctic Benguela Current.

spectacled penguin

Penguins live exclusively in the southern hemisphere of the Earth: Antarctica, the coast of South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Birds can be found in tropical latitudes, however, this means that cold currents prevail in local waters. The warmest place where penguin populations are observed is the Galapagos Islands (the archipelago is located near the planet's equator). Quantitatively, the largest number of penguins live on the coast of Antarctica and the large ice floes and islands surrounding it.

Adelie Penguin

The plumage of penguins consists of three layers of numerous waterproof small "hairs". The air between the layers of feathers helps keep the animal warm when the animal is in cold water. During molting, penguins almost completely change their plumage, shedding old layers in a short period. At this time, the penguins are not able to swim, which means they are forced to starve until new vestments grow. In addition to feathers, penguins also protect themselves from the cold with a fairly thick layer of fat (about 3 cm).

The main diet is made up of schooling fish species - horse mackerel, sardine, anchovy, etc. In addition, penguins eat squid and krill (clusters of planktonic crustaceans). In one day of hunting, penguins can make from 200 to 900 dives. During periods of molting and incubation of eggs (in some species), penguins are forced to do without food for quite a long time (up to 3.5 months). During this period, the penguin can lose up to half of its mass.

Under water, penguins see much better than on land. Birds can see their prey even in dark or muddy water.

Reproduction and rearing of chicks takes place in large colonies, which can often be formed from hundreds of thousands of individuals. The age at which a penguin is ready to breed varies greatly by species. Adélie penguins, for example, begin breeding at the age of 3-4 years, while the emperor penguin only by 8 years. Antarctic penguin species incubate only one egg (once a year), while their northern relatives from warmer regions lay several eggs at a time (despite the fact that they can sometimes make two clutches at once in a year). The breeding periods for different species vary, however, if the dates coincide, huge combined colonies are formed from representatives of various species, the number of which in the aggregate can reach several million individuals.

emperor penguin chick

Large colonies of penguins leave behind a huge amount of waste in the form of droppings. People have learned to thoroughly count and determine the habitats of populations using satellite imagery: all that is needed for this is to highlight large dark spots on the ice in photographs.

King penguins and their chick

Interestingly, many penguins choose the same partner during the breeding season year after year. For example, the percentage of "divorces" in magnificent penguins is only 14%, some pairs exist for 10 years in a row. A slightly different situation has developed with Adélie penguins: in 50% of cases, animals change partners every year.

Usually, penguins build nests from grass, leaves, stones, etc. to incubate eggs. Only emperor and king penguins incubate their eggs in a special fold on their belly. An interesting fact is that hatching success increases with age, so young pairs in most cases do not hatch at all.

Hatching occurs within 1-2 months. There is the concept of "brood reduction", according to which some species of penguins, laying two eggs, prefer to concentrate their efforts on the first hatched chick, giving him more food. Consequently, the second chick dies in most cases. On the other hand, the second chick is a kind of safety net if the first chick for some reason suffers an early death. Such is the adaptation of penguins to rather harsh environmental conditions and great competition for limited food supplies. There are penguin species that raise both chicks, as well as southern species that lay a single egg.

Penguin colonies have their own nurseries. After the first 3-6 weeks, when the chick is constantly under the supervision of one of the parents (at this time the other goes hunting), he goes to a kind of kindergarten, which allows parents to fully concentrate on getting food. Nestlings from neighboring nests gather in a group, exploring the world around them under the supervision of several adults.

The life expectancy of penguins is on average 25-30 years. Chicks have the least chance of survival, for example, about 50% of Adélie penguins die within the first 12 months of life. The main threats to the life of young animals are hunger and birds of prey, the most formidable of which is considered to be the giant southern petrel. Adult individuals already have a very high chance of survival, which ranges from 70 to 90%, depending on the species. The main threat to adult penguins are marine predators: killer whales, sharks, sea lions, seals and leopards. These predators claim the lives of about 5-10% of penguin populations.

It is likely that the so-called "penguin effect" is associated with the activity of marine predators. Approaching the shore in groups, the penguins do not dare to jump into the water for a long time. Animals crowd in front of the cliff, sometimes up to half an hour. The rite continues until the only brave man is found who is ready to jump into the water first. Everyone else immediately follows him. A similar situation often occurs in people's lives, in psychology it is called the "penguin effect".

In addition to predators, the life of penguins is also threatened by humans. First of all, people cause serious damage to the food supply of penguins by fishing for marine fish in the ocean. The second factor is the pollution of the world's oceans, including oil products. In addition, there is the issue of habitat loss associated with aggressive development and human expansion into penguin nesting areas (eg New Zealand and Australia). The danger to animals is feral dogs rejected by people. Several colonies of penguins on the Galapagos Islands were destroyed by wild dogs in the 20th century. Global climate change also has a significant negative impact.

Warning road sign in Oamaru, New Zealand. Not far from the coast, a colony of small penguins settled.

Penguins are naturally open and friendly. Unlike many wild animals, penguins do not experience fear at the sight of a person. Some observers have stated that penguins, they say, behave so naturally in front of people that they probably mistake them for relatives, albeit rather unusual ones.

Penguins communicate with each other using calls. Each species is characterized by its unique sounds. For example, the cries of a spectacled penguin are very similar to those of a donkey.

White-winged penguins (pictured above) differ from other species in their nocturnal lifestyle. In the evenings, they gather in groups on the ocean shore and wait until it gets completely dark. After dark, the groups set out to sea at the same time. They return from hunting only at dawn.

Galapagos penguins (pictured above) live north of the rest of the species. The proximity of the Galapagos archipelago to the equator determines rather high local temperatures, which are not typical for the habitat of penguins (the average water temperature is +23 C). They are in danger of extinction.

The Adélie penguin is one of the most common penguin species. This species got its name from the territory in which their colonies were first noticed by Europeans - Adélie Land. This section of the Antarctic continent was discovered by the French navigator Jules d'Urville and named after his wife Adele.

Magnificent (pictured) and Magellanic penguins are one of the smallest species. Are in danger of extinction

The gentoo penguin is the third largest species of penguin after the emperor and king.

Three emperors (pictured above). Emperor penguins are perhaps the most famous penguin species in the world. In addition to size, it is distinguished from other relatives by its incredible adaptability to cold (emperors live south of other species, even live on the mainland of Antarctica), a unique way of incubating chicks (the male incubates the egg in a special fold under his belly at an ambient temperature of -50 C and a strong wind ), as well as incredible records in the field of diving (15 minutes without breathing, more than 500 meters of depth). Emperor penguins are amazing social creatures. In severe frosts, these animals huddle in large close groups, the temperature inside which can reach positive values ​​​​when it is very cold outside. At the same time, the emperors are constantly moving from the center to the edge, changing places in such a way that all individuals are on an equal footing.

The genus of crested penguins includes 6 species. This is the most common genus of penguins on the planet. They are distinguished by an unusual crest on the head. Some representatives of the genus are able to move their "hair" to attract the attention of females.

And, finally, a touching video dedicated to the heroes of this story.

06.05.2016

Penguins are the only penguin-like order, consisting of 18 species. This is a family of flightless seabirds, all members of which dive and swim well. What interesting facts about penguins can be cited as an example when analyzing this group of animals?

1. Unlike other flightless birds, penguins have well-developed sternum bones that help them move quickly through the water.
2. Penguins are large birds with an average weight of 45 kg. The largest penguin is the emperor. He can easily reach a person's shoulder while standing.
3. Penguins live in the southern hemisphere from Antarctica to the Galapagos Islands.
4. Most penguin species form pairs for life.
5. Penguin chicks are born densely hairy and blind.
6. Penguins do not nest every year. Between nesting seasons, they swim in the ocean about 1,000 km from where their chicks will be born.
7. Penguins molt once a year for 20 days. Old feathers are replaced by new ones gradually. Moulting occurs on land in a secluded place. During this period, the birds are starving.
8. 36 species of penguins are known in fossil form, the oldest of which was found in the New Zealand archipelago.
9. Unlike other penguins, emperor penguins nest on the ice, even during the harshest time of the year.
10. The appearance of a single egg, the male and female emperor penguins are greeted with jubilant cries. The male remains to look after the egg until the time of its hatching, and the female goes to sea. Sometimes males run away to the sea, leaving the female, such egoists also occur. Then the egg dies, and the chick is not born.
11. By the time the chick hatches, the female emperor penguin returns, and the male leaves for fattening for a month. He will return to feed the baby. If the female does not return or is late, the chick will not survive.
12. Single male penguins steal newborns and fights often arise between them for possession of the baby.
13. King penguins nest on the rocky shores of the islands north of Antarctica. The male and female take turns incubating the eggs.
14. Penguins whose chick died for some reason start breeding at an earlier date.
15. The most numerous among the penguins is the Antarctic Adélie species. They nest on the windy rocky shores of Antarctica and on nearby islands. Arriving at the place, they begin to dig a hole and cover it with stones, often stealing building material from each other.
16. Male and female Adélie penguins incubate eggs, replacing each other. For about 2 weeks, one of the parents feeds, and then the other. If the clutch dies for some reason, then the parents still return to its place and stay there, starving for about two weeks, but they do not start a new clutch.
17. Adélie penguins are very curious and fearless birds.
18. The smallest is the little penguin. It breeds along the southern coasts of Australia and on nearby islands. His height is 40 cm.
19. To the north of all, the Galapagos penguin nests. This is the only species of the genus that lives in the tropics.
20. The magnificent penguin differs from other species in that it does not form colonies when nesting. Pairs nest separately and form for life or until the death of one of the partners.
21. Penguins drink sea water. Excess salt is removed from them with the help of glands located at the top of the eyes.
22. More recently, using DNA analysis, scientists have identified the closest relatives of penguins. They are loons, petrels and albatrosses.
23. Penguins can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes.
24. Although the speed of movement of penguins on land is 1-2 kilometers per hour, in this way they can cover a distance of up to 100 kilometers without stopping to rest.

About half of the penguin species are endangered, and three species are close to extinction.