penguins

Fast Facts

Common Name: There are seventeen species of penguins.

Class: Aves

Order: Sphenisciformes

Family: Spheniscidae

Genus species: There are 17 species of penguins:

• emperor--Aptenodytes forsteri
  
• king--Aptenodytes patagonica
  
• Adelie--Pygoscelis adeliae
  
• gentoo--Pygoscelis papua
  
• chinstrap--Pygoscelis antarctica
  
• 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

Size The emperor penguin is the largest penguin, standing 112 cm (44 in.) tall. The smallest penguin is the fairy penguin, standing just 41 cm (16 in.).

Weight: The emperor penguin weighs the most at 27-41 kg (60-90 lb.) while the fairy penguin is the lightest, weighing about 1 kg (2.2 lb.).

Status: All Antarctic penguins are legally protected by the Antarctic Treaty. Penguins are vulnerable to habitat destruction, overfishing of primary food sources, ecological disasters such as oil spills and human encroachment into nesting areas.


Fun Facts

1. All penguins live south of the equator, from the icy waters of Antarctica to the tropical Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, almost astride the equator.

2. Chinstrap penguins may be the most numerous penguin, with a population estimated at 12 to 13 million.

3. The most vulnerable penguin is the yellow-eyed penguin, which inhabits the coasts and offshore islands of southeast New Zealand. The yellow-eyed penguin population is estimated at less than 10,000.

4. Penguins are specialized marine birds adapted to living at sea. Some species spend as much as 75% of their lives in the sea. Penguin wings are paddlelike flippers used for swimming, not flying.

More information about penguins
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