Some Amazing Facts About Penguins!!
No other bird goes so far into the
harsh Antarctica area as the penguin. To insulate itself its body against the
fierce cold, it has a complete covering of short feathers that extends down to
its webbed feet. It gets all its food from the ocean and can also drink salt
water.
The emperor penguin is the largest of
the penguin family – about three to four feet tall. All penguins have wings but
they cannot fly. Instead, their wings are used as flippers to swim extremely
fast underwater. Special muscles give these wings great strength.
The emperor penguin does not build a
nest. About a month after arriving on an ice barrier, a pair has a family of
just one chick. Before the female lays the single egg, she goes several weeks
without eating. Then about the middle of May the egg is laid. She turns its
care over to the male and then dives into the ocean to feed, and she is gone
for some weeks. As this is really the beginning of winter in the Antarctic, the
male has a difficult time since there is no nest for the egg.
The Creator has provided a way to keep
the egg warm. The male stands with his feet close together and rolls the egg on
top of them. With the egg securely in place, “papa” pulls a soft pouch of skin
down over it, making it snug and warm. He stands in this position – never moving
or going for food and water for two months!!!
Here is something else that is
amazing. Although “mama” has been away all this time, on the exact day the
chick hatches she comes out of the ocean, her belly big and round from gorging
on seafood. There are thousands of penguins that look just like her mate, but
she goes right up to him. Then she takes over, putting her beak in the newly hatched
chick’s mouth and feeding it from her full belly. She does this until it can
take care of itself. Meanwhile, the skinny male takes to the water to find the
food it needs.
Shortly after the chick is fully
grown, it joins others on the ice floes, and the currents carry them north
several hundred miles to the New Zealand area or to the tip of South America. The
next May they repeat the cycle again! Interesting and fascinating stuff!
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Source: bibletruthpublishers.com
Photo Courtesy of:
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Take the time to look around and
enjoy your world today. Life is good!
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