Tuesday 7 February 2012

Emperor Penguin




T
he emperor penguin who weighs in at an almighty 90lbs and stands at an average height of 4 foot are not only one of the heaviest bird species on the planet but has an amazing life span of around 50+ years. Most other penguin species have a life expectancy of only 10 years, so it’s mind boggling and not fully understood why the emperors live an extra 40 years. 

The fun facts don’t stop there because the male emperor penguin is also the only bird that lives out the complete winter on the antarctic continent. It will serve out some of the coldest, harshest (-60 Degrees Celcius) weather seen anywhere on the planet, whilst at the same time incubating the females egg.

During this time the emperor penguin will fast, sometimes going without food for over 120 days. Once the female returns to nurture and feed the hatched egg, the male emperor finally gets a chance to head out and grab some munch.



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