Every year on January 20, we celebrate Penguin Awareness Day! In honor of this special day, here are five cool facts about penguins.
1. Emperor penguins don’t build nests. They use their feet as a nest!
After the female emperor penguin lays an egg, the male penguin balances it on his feet and covers it with a warm layer of feathered skin called a brood pouch. He keeps the egg on his feet for the next couple months protecting it from the harsh Antarctic ice and wind.
2. African penguins build nests out of their poop!
African penguin poop, also known as guano, is sturdy enough to provide protection from the elements, but soft enough to burrow into, which makes it the perfect material to use for a nest. But when poop isn’t available (because people have removed it), then African penguins nest primarily under bushes and boulders.
3. There is one species of penguin called the macaroni penguin.
Yes, that’s really their name, but they’re not made of noodles! Macaroni penguins are one of six species of crested penguins and have fun yellow feathered crests on their heads.
4. Gentoo penguins are the fastest of all penguins.
Gentoo penguins can reach speeds up to 35 km/h (22 mph) while zipping through the ocean. They have the ability to change the angle of their wings, called flippers, to gain maximum thrust while propelling themselves through the water.
5. Penguins don’t have teeth.
Penguins may not have teeth, but they do have sharp spiky things on their tongue and roof of their mouth. Those spines are called papillae, and they help push food to the back of the penguin’s mouth.
To learn more about penguins, see our articles, African Penguin and Emperor Penguin.
