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Penguins

penguin

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

penguin originally the common name for the now extinct great auk of the N Atlantic and now used (since the 19th cent.) for the unrelated, generally antarctic diving birds of the Southern Hemisphere. Penguins, which are related most closely to the albatrosses , are the most highly specialized of all birds for marine life. They swim entirely by means of their flipperlike wings, using their webbed feet as rudders. Their stiff feathers serve as insulation, and are waterproof when oiled. Since their legs are set far back on their bodies, they waddle awkwardly on land, and often travel by tobogganing on their bellies over the ice as they migrate—sometimes great distances—each fall to their nesting sites.

Underwater they can swim up to 25 mi (40.3 km) per hr as they pursue the fish, squid, and shrimp that form their diet. They do not eat while on land, subsisting on a layer of fat under the skin; this results in weight losses of up to 75 lb (33.8 kg) during the two-month incubation period. Their chief enemies are the leopard seal, killer whale, and skua gull. Penguins are highly gregarious, and a population density of half a million birds in 500 acres has been counted at a colony in Antarctica.

There are 17 species of penguins, 10 of which are considered endangered or threatened. The largest penguins, the emperor and the king (3–4 ft/91.5–122 cm in height), incubate their eggs between their feet in a fold of skin. The smaller jackass penguins, Spheniscus demersus, are named for their braying cry, and crested penguins (genus Eudyptes ) are distinguished by yellow plumes on either side of the head. Smallest of all is the little blue penguin, Eudyptula minor, of New Zealand and Australia, which is 16–17 in. (41–44 cm) tall. Other penguins also live in more northerly waters, such as the Galápagos penguin Spheniscus mendiculus, found in equatorial waters.

Penguins are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae.

Bibliography: See E. G. Simpson, Penguins, (1982).

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penguin

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea | 2006 | Copyright

penguin. There are seventeen species of this flightless seabird. They belong to the family Spheniscidae, which are almost exclusive to the southern hemisphere. Penguin wings are developed into powerful flippers for swimming. The legs are far back in the body so on land they walk upright. Since they no longer fly, there are no restrictions on their weight, so their bodies are invested with blubber. This insulates them in the water, but means they tend to overheat on land, so the warm tropics are a barrier to their spread into the northern hemisphere. The Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) lives on the equator, but where the sea temperatures are kept cool by upwelling. The largest, the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), stands over a metre high and weighs more than 40 kilograms (98 lb). Emperors have a unique life history. They breed in rookeries of up to 50,000 pairs on the Antarctic ice shelf and the young are left in large crèches to overwinter hundreds of kilometres from the ice edge. They feed predominantly on squid and can dive to depths of 265 metres (870 ft). Underwater they swim at speeds of 9–11 kilometres an hour (6–7 mph). Each species of penguin occupies a specific type of breeding ground, ranging from ice, to bare ground (chinstraps, Adelies, and gentoos), to cliffs (rockhoppers), to tussock grasses (mararonis), and in burrows (magellanic). Many of the penguins around the Antarctic feed on krill. An individual Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) catches about 2 kilograms (4.4 lb) a day during the breeding season. So the 5 million pairs that occupy just one rookery on Laurie Island in the South Orkney Islands take 9 tonnes of krill a day.

Bibliography

Peterson, R. , Penguins (1998).


www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

M. V. Angel
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Spheniscidae

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Copyright

Spheniscidae (penguins; class Aves, order Sphenisciformes) A family of medium-sized to large, marine birds, most of which have black upper-parts and white under-parts. Their feathers are very small and dense, and some birds have crests above the eye. Their bills are short and stout to long and pointed, their legs short and set well back, with webbed toes. Their wings are modified into paddles which do not fold, and they have short tails. They are flightless and swim well under water, coming to land to breed. They walk upright on land, or slide on their bellies. They feed on fish and other marine animals, and nest in burrows or on the ground. There are six genera, with 18 species, found on the coasts of Antarctica, S. America, S. Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and sub-Antarctic islands.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Spheniscidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Spheniscidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Spheniscidae.html

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penguin

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

penguin Flightless sea bird that lives in the Southern Hemisphere and ranges from the Antarctic northwards to the Galápagos Islands. Their wings have been adapted to flippers and their webbed feet help to propel their sleek bodies through the water. Although they are awkward on land, they are fast and powerful swimmers, easily able to catch the fish and squid that they feed on. Height: to 1.22m (4ft). Family Spheniscidae.
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penguin

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

pen·guin / ˈpenggwin; ˈpengwin/ • n. a large flightless seabird (family Spheniscidae) of the southern hemisphere, with black upper parts and white underparts and wings developed into flippers for swimming under water.

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penguin

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

penguin †great auk (of Newfoundland); bird of the southern hemisphere having scaly paddles. XVI. of unkn. orig.
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T. F. HOAD. "penguin." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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penguins

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Copyright

penguins See SPHENISCIDAE.
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penguin

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

penguin •Gladwin •anguine, sanguine •Alcuin • Darwin • Tarquin •Cledwyn, Edwin •penguin •Delwyn, Selwyn •sequin • Chindwin • Dilwyn •harlequin •Blodwen, Godwin •Olwen • Baldwin • Alwyn • Goldwyn •Goodwin • Irwin • Gershwin •muezzin, resin •seisin • rosin

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

penguins on parade. exhibit [bar] a coup for the aquarium.(Local)
Newspaper article from: The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA); 2/15/2007
PENGUIN FAMILY VALUES; NIGHT & DAY.
Newspaper article from: The Mail on Sunday (London, England); 6/15/1997
Penguin lovers can take plunge - for a price.(Suburban Living)
Newspaper article from: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL); 12/14/2006

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