penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae of the order sphenisciformes .they live almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere . only one species, the Galapagos penguin ,is equator, with a small portion od its population extending slightly north of the equator highly adapted for life in the ocean water, penguins have counter shaded dark and white Plumage and flippers for swimming .most penguins feed on krill, fish ,squid and other forms of sea life which they catch with their bills and swallow whole while swimming. a penguin has a spiny tongue and powerful jaws to grip slippery prey.
they spend about half of their lives on land and the other half in the sea. the largest living species is the emperor penguin .on average, adults are a out 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in ) tall and weigh 35 kg (77 lb). the smallest penguin species is the little blue penguin, also known as the fairy penguin, which stands around 30-33 cm (12-13) tall and weights 1.2-1.3 kg (2.6-2.9 lb). today larger penguins generally inhabit colder regions ,and smaller penguins inhabit regions with temperate or tropical climates. Some prehistoric penguin species were enormous: as tall or heavy as an adult human. there was a great diversity of species in a subantarctic regions, and at least one giant species in a region around 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, during the late Eocene, a climate decidedly warmer then today.
what is special about the penguin?
according to same animal experts, the penguin in one of the most streamlined animals in the world. a penguin s body is tapered at both ends and it has a large head, short neck and elongated body .this streamlined design helps penguin s swim fast.
etymology.
the word penguin first appears in literature at the end of the 16th century as a synonym for the great auk. when European explorers discovered what are today known as penguins in the southern hemisphere, Hey noticed their similar appearance to the great auk of the northern hemisphere and named them after this birds, although they after this bird, although they are not closely related.
some dictionaries suggest a derivation from Welsh pen, head and Gwyn, white, including the oxford English dictionary, the American heritage dictionary ,the century dictionary and Merriam-webster, on the basis that the name was originally applied to the great auk ,either because it was found on white head island in newfoundland, or because it had white circles around its eyes .however ,the Welsh word pen can also be used to mean front and ,in a maritime context, pen blain means front end or part, bow ,prow.
an alternative etymology links the word to Latin pinguins, which means fat or oil . support for this etymology can be found in the alternative Germanic word for penguin ,Fettgans or fat-goose and the related Dutch word Vetgans.
what is called a penguin?
penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds the family Spheniscidae of the order Sphenisciformes .they live almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere.
this penguin leg put.
type of penguins.
little penguin.
king penguin.
southern rockhopper penguin.
African penguin.
chinstrap penguin.
yellow-eyed penguin.