Penguin

"Son, we are penguins. We can't fly."

―Mumble

Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica.

Information

In the Real World

A group of Emperor penguins

Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have evolved into flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.

Although all penguin species are native to the Southern Hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator.

The largest living species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): on average adults are about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (77 lb) or more. The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the Fairy Penguin, which stands around 40 cm (16 in) tall and weighs 1 kg (2.2 lb). Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates. Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions; on the contrary, subantarctic regions harboured high diversity, and at least one giant penguin occurred in a region not quite 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, in a climate decidedly warmer than today.

In the Happy Feet franchise

In the Happy Feet franchise, the penguins appear as the main characters. The penguin species, Emperor Penguins are the main characters of the series.

Notable Penguins Species in the franchise

• Emperor Penguin
• Adélie Penguin
• Rockhopper Penguin
• Magellanic Penguin
• Little Penguin
• Chinstrap Penguin
• Gentoo Penguin
• Royal Penguin

Trivia

• There are 18 species of penguin in the world. While some species are widespread and thriving, 13 of them have declining populations, and five of them are considered endangered and facing possible extinction if strong protection and conservation measures are not taken.

Gallery

The Happy Feet Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Penguin.