Emperor Penguins
(Aptenodytes forsteri)
Height: about 4 ft. (1.2 meters)
Weight: 70-90 lbs. (30-40 kg.)
Diet: fish, small crustaceans and squid
Habitat: Antarctica
World Population: 150,000 couples in 25 colonies
Description: Emperor penguins are the largest penguin species. Their head, back, and upper wings are black; their belly and the surface under their wings are white. There is an orange patch close to the ear, and yellow coloring at the throat.
Mating: Emperor penguins breed in the winter (in fact, they are the only animal that spends winter on Antarctica's open ice). After a courtship of several weeks, the female lays one egg and then leaves to feed in the open sea. While the female is gone, the male balances the egg on his feet and covers it with his brood pouch (a warm layer of feathered skin designed to keep the egg comfortable). The male will stand with the egg for about 65 days- without eating the whole time! (They lose about 1/2 their body weight) The females return from the sea after about two months to feed and raise the newly-hatched chicks.
Emperor penguin & chick
