Habitat

All 18 species of penguins are native to the southern hemisphere, but they are not limited to the icy Antarctic area. One species lives near the equator, where temperatures can be very high. There are only 2 true antarctic dwellers, one of which is the well-known emperor penguin. The emperor penguin is well adapted to the very cold climate of southern most regions.

Mating

In winter, each female lays a single egg. The male penguin puts the egg on his feet, protecting it against the cold with a flap of skin. This is his job for the next 60 days, while his mate is far away at sea building up her food and fat reserves.

The male penguins huddle together to preserve warmth and can shuffle along, changing their position so that no individual is on the outside of the group for too long.

Chicks and What They Eat

When the chicks hatch, the females have returned with ample food supplies. Penguins eat a variety of fish, though each species has its own preference. They swallow their food whole, and partly digested food is regurgitated for the young. When incubating their single egg, emperor penguin males can go without food for at least 2 months, losing up to half their body weight. Chicks are unable to feed themselves till they have the adult plumage, which is waterproof. They can then enter the sea to hunt fish.