The emperor penguin is the tallest member of the penguin species and known for their appearance, ability to adapt to their environment and their dedication to relationships! Did you know that once a penguin has found a partner they will often mate for life? They can thrive on land and sea and are excellent swimmers and very good divers, reaching depths of over 200 metres (the record dive being 565 metres).
These penguins have black and white bodies with stiff black wings. Their back, head, chin, throat, and the dorsal parts of their wings are black.
Emperor penguins are the largest sea birds in the Antarctic, standing 101 to 132 cm tall. They have wingspans ranging from 76 to 89 cm. males and females can weigh up to 23kg.
Wild Emperor penguins can only be found in Antarctica. They live on the Antarctic ice and the surrounding waters.
The scientific name for the emperor penguin is Aptenodytes forsteri, “which mean featherless diver”
A group of emperor penguins are called a colony.
As the population of the emperor penguin is found exclusively in Antarctica this means that their habitat is entirely based on icy, cold landscapes. These penguins will spend their time between land and sea.
In the Emperor penguin’s natural environment wind chills can reach a staggering -60 degrees celsius. To survive in these conditions the emperor penguin has had to adapt both physiologically and with their behaviours. For example, groups of penguins will gather and huddle to evade the wind and share warmth between them. They will rotate the order of the group so that once a penguin is warm enough it will move to the outside to allow the next penguin in. A group, or huddle, can contain up to 5,000 penguins.
Their physical features are also designed to withstand colder temperatures and winds that can reach up to 200 kilometres per hour. They have two layers of feathers alongside a reserve of fat to preserve body heat. They also have smaller flippers and beaks in proportion to their body which supports in reducing the heat lost from the body. And, unlike certain other types of penguins, the emperor has feathers on their legs.
This species can also dive for long periods of time which helps when hunting in such difficult conditions.
The diet of the emperor penguin is based largely on the Antarctic’s silverfish alongside other types of life found in the area such as krill as well as some squid. Interestingly, an adult penguin is known to eat up to 2-3 kg in food per day and can even eat up to twice this much when trying to build up their body fat reserves.
A typical Emperor penguin egg will measure 11-12.7 cm in size and weigh between 345-515 grams.
A baby penguin is called a chick.
Emperor penguins can live to 15-20 years old in the wild.
Currently the Emperor penguin is classified as a Near Threatened species as there are only around 600,000 remaining. In certain areas the population has decreased by up to 50% with one colony near the Antarctic Peninsula disappearing completely. Loss of habitat due to climate change is one of the largest threats facing this species today.
Although they don’t have many natural predators on land, the penguins are susceptible to attacks in the water from whales, sea lions and leopard seals.
Why not adopt an African penguin today to support the conservation of the animals in our care.
