sesimerly - Basic Penguin Facts

The Emperor

The Emperor penguin is the world's largest penguin.
The Emperor penguin lays its single egg during the coldest time of the year, when temperatures drop to as low as -80° Fand winds reach velocities of up to 112 miles per hour.
Emperors have by far the deepest and longest dives for any bird. They often reach depths of 700 feet, and can stay submerged for up to 18minutes.

Emperors are insulated in part by a dense network of feathers - about 70 feathers per square inch.

More penguin facts

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:

penguin

KINGDOM:

Animalia

PHYLUM:

Chordata

CLASS:

Aves

ORDER:

Sphenisciformes

FAMILY:

Spheniscidae

GENUS SPECIES:

There are 17 species of penguins:

•	Emperor - Aptenodytes forsteri
•	king - Aptenodytes patagonica
•	Adélie - Pygoscelis adeliae
•	gentoo - Pygoscelis papua
•	chinstrap - Pygoscelis antarcticus
•	rockhopper - Eudyptes crestatus
•	macaroni - Eudyptes chrysolophus
•	royal - Eudyptes schlegeli
•	Fiordland crested - Eudyptes pachyrhynchus
•	erect-crested - Eudyptes sclateri
•	Snares Island - Eudyptes robustus
•	yellow-eyed - Megadyptes antipodes
•	fairy (little blue) - Eudyptula minor
•	Magellanic - Spheniscus magellanicus
•	Humboldt - Spheniscus humboldti
•	black-footed - Spheniscus demersus
•	Galapagos - Spheniscus mendiculus

Fairy Penguins

Fairy penguins are the smallest species of penguin.

The scientific name 'Eudyptula' is Greek for 'good little diver'.

Each year Fairy penguins will return to the same burrow and 'renovate' it, if it is not too badly damaged.

Introduced species such as foxes dogs, feral cats and nest predators like rats, snakes and lizards have reduced Fairy penguin populations dramatically.

The average life-span of a Fairy penguin is about seven years.