Penguin
Aptenodytes forsteri, emperor penguin
Even though penguins are birds, they don’t fly. Instead they are masterful swimmers. They spend most of their time on the ground, or more precisely, on the ice, instead of in the air. They eat fish instead of worms (because there are no worms in the frozen places they live). And they don't build nests, they just use the tops of their feet to incubate their eggs.
Penguin’s legs are short and set so far back that they have to waddle side to side to walk. Their feet are webbed, which helps on the slippery ice, but will never do for ballet. They are clumsy and slow on land and can only pick up speed when they are sliding on their bellies on the snow or ice.
In the water, however, they are swift, skilled swimmers. In the water, they don't kick with their legs and feet like we do, they use their powerful wings like flippers and their feet as rudders to steer. In the water is where they find all their food, however that is also where they are most vulnerable to predators like seals and polar bears. In water is where they eat, and are eaten.
Penguins have evolved to thwart seal attacks. They are black on their backs so when seals look down the penguins blend into the dark waters. Their bellies are white so when seals look up, they blend in with the bright sky.
They keep warm in the frigid waters and frosty air of Antarctica with a thick mass of feathers that overlap, plus a layer of fat under the skin. Sandwiched between the two is a layer of warm air. On an especially cold day, they huddle together big groups to keep warm.
When it comes time to lay eggs, father keeps the eggs warm on land for a month or so during the coldest time of winter while the mother swims out to sea to eat. He doesn't eat at all during this time. Instead he huddles with other fathers and they all live off their fat stores, keeping their eggs warm until the mothers come back. While mom is away the eggs hatch, so that when the mothers return with their bellies full of fish, they meet their children for the first time. She regurgitates food for the young penguins and takes over their care, while the father takes off to the sea to feed.
RISK: Penguins are losing their habitat because the ice is melting due to global warming. There is less ice for them to live on, and ice is the only place safe enough for them to lay their eggs. They may also be affected in other ways by global warming.
