The Events

The Animal Series

The Emperor Penguin

Introduction

The Emperor Penguin, also known as Aptenodytes forsteri, is the largest of all penguins, birds that live in the Antarctic and are unable to fly. Emperor Penguins are distinguished from other penguins by its size, robust stature, and a yellow patch between its ear and upper breast. They eat mostly small marine animals and live in close contact in colonies. Typically they live for about 15 to 20 years. They have flipper-like wings for diving below 900 ft to catch abundant fish.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Shpeniscidae
Genus: Aptenodytes
Species: A. forsteri

Habitat

Emperor Penguins reside on Antarctic slabs of ice without land predators so that their inability to fly is not detrimental towards their survival. Because they have adapted to the sea and feeding on fish, they generally live close to cold, nutrient-rich water. They have a thick coat of blubber under the skin to keep them warm in temperatures that dive as low as -68 degrees F. They have several adaptions to this frigid weather including thick, scalelike feathers that are nearly impossible to ruffle. Also, their bill and flippers are very short, conserving heat. In order to conserve more heat, even their nasal chambers capture the heat that is usually released during exhalation, and they have lots of body fat.

Food Source/Food Chain

Emperor Penguins are able to reach ocean depths of over 800 feet and stay submerged for about 18 minutes. This allows them to take long pursuits for prey. They feed on some crustaceans but mostly fish and squid. They have to avoid their main enemy, the leopard seal. Other predators include the Antarctic giant petrels, orca, skua, and sharks.

Social Behavior
Emperor Penguins are very social birds. They live in groups or colonies, and often huddle to keep warm during the winter. Adult male penguins are usually on the move going from their nesting area to hunting and foraging in the ocean. Huddling is a very important feature to survival and social behaviors of emperors. They form a circle and take turns being on the inner (most warm) and outer (coldest) parts of the circle.

Interesting Characteristics

There are two main characteristics of Emperor Penguins that are very interesting and unusual. The first, and most obvious, is that they are birds that can't fly and instead, swim. The second and more intriguing feature of Emperor Penguins is their breeding pattern. They are the only penguins that breed in the frigid winter of Antarctica. After a 63 day gestation gestation period, the female lays one egg, which she passes to her male mate. He incubates the egg while the female leaves temporarily to feed. The male will not be able to eat during the 9 week incubation period during the harsh winter months of Antarctica. He keeps the egg warm by balancing it between his feet, insulated by a thick roll of skin and feathers called the "brood pouch". Also to keep warm, the male penguins huddle in close compact circles. After the egg hatches, the baby penguins remain in the brood pouch until able to regulate their own temperatures. The female then returns to nurse the newborn penguin, and the male, having lost a third of its body weight, goes on a 60 mile trip on the ice to find food.