PENGUINS HAVE KNEES
Yes, they do! You just can't see
them because they're hidden
under all their fluffy feathers.
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BLACK
AND WHITE
CAMOUFLAGE
Male and female
penguins both
have the same
tuxedo-like
coloration, which helps protect
them against predators in the
water. It's called countershading.
The black plumage on their back
makes it hard to see them from
above. And the white plumage
on their front, when seen from
below, looks like the sun
reflecting off the water.
THE FREEZE FACTOR
Life in the big freeze can be tough for
these flightless birds, and they have cleverly
evolved to survive the harsh conditions. To stop
their feet from freezing, penguins have special
arteries in their legs that can adjust blood flow in
response to their foot temperature, enabling them
to send just enough blood to their feet to keep
them above freezing.
CATASTROPHIC
MOULTING
Penguin feathers are shorter and stiffer than most
bird feathers, making them more streamlined in
the water. Unlike flying birds that moult slowly
over time, penguins moult all their feathers
over just a few weeks every summer. It's called
catastrophic moulting. During this time, they
cannot enter the water, so they need to have
stored enough fat to fast, until they can head
back out to sea with a new coat.
UNDERWATER VISION
Penguins have a secondary transparent
eyelid to enable them to see underwater,
meaning their vision is better underwater
than on land. is 'see-through' eyelid
helps them to see clearly as they swim
underwater, giving them superior eyesight
to spot prey while hunting.
LET'S STICK
TOGETHER
Highly social birds,
penguins form breeding
colonies called rookeries,
in which they live in the
tens of thousands and even
millions. Many penguins
stay with the same mate for years, and families stick
together, with many generations using the same
nesting ground. Penguins' excellent hearing helps
them find each other in a crowd.
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