Animal Studies Lab

Penguins live in some of the most extreme weather, from the icy plains of Antarctica to the hot equatorial waters of the Galapagos. They spend months at a time in the ocean. Penguins are birds, but they don't have wings; they have flippers. They can't fly, and when they're on land, they walk upright. But when the snow is just right, they can slide on their belly parts. FACTS: The emperor penguin is the tallest living penguin, standing at approximately 1.1 to 1.3 meters. Penguins can drink salt water. Penguins are exceptional, specialized swimmers that use paddle-like flippers to fly underwater at speeds of 15-25 mph. A group of penguins is called a colony, rookery, or huddle when on land and a raft when in the water.  Chinstrap penguins survive by taking over 10,000 'microsleeps' per day, each lasting only about 4 seconds, for roughly 11 hours of daily rest.  Penguins are oviparous , laying one or two eggs per season. Penguins have a third eyelid known as a nicti...