Penguins have always fascinated people especially the young ones and this is largely attributable to the Penguin featured animated movies that generated a lot of interest among in these little birds from the coldest regions on earth.
Below are some interesting facts about penguins that can be shared with your little ones.
Penguins don’t fly
Despite their beauty and the fact that they are birds, these creatures cannot fly. They are however great swimmers and divers. Good replacements for their deficiencies you might say. Their flippers and the shape of their body make swimming under water easier for them. This also makes them waddle on land.
Devoted Parents
Unlike in many other creatures, baby penguins have two parents that are continuously devoted to taking care of their little ones. Regardless of the gender, both parents are actively involved in hatching the egg as they take turns warming the egg and looking for food for the family.
The special penguin gland
Penguins possess a special gland behind their beak that helps them to filter out salt from the water they consume considering that they swallow a lot of sea water due to the fact that they are almost always in the ocean. They also consume snow as a way of getting fresh water.
Sleep at Sea
Penguins would normally take naps and short sleeps in water and this can be explained from the fact that natural predators on the lookout for food are around the corner making it dangerous for penguins to live on the ice. This makes penguins find solace in sleeping in the water as opposed to ice or even dry land.
Huddle for warmth
In order to get the required level of warmth needed to take care of the egg when on land, male penguins huddle to together. The rotation of the penguins from the cold outside to the warmer inside allows them to maintain a high body temperature needed for incubation of the egg until the baby penguin comes.
Use of Sign Language
Many people do not know but penguins actually use sign language to communicate with each other. This can be seen when they wave their flippers and the movement of their heads to communicate to penguins in the group. These are some of the many facts about these lovely creatures that have made them beautiful, attractive, and fun. Remember to watch out for these when next you see them on the screen of your television set.
