Penguins
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Meet the Wonderful Penguins!

Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Penguins are highly adapted for life in the water. Their wings have become flippers.

The Penguins

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Penguins are categorized into three families: brush-tail, crested, and king/emperor penguins.

The average lifespan of penguins is 15 to 20 years.

Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their life on land and half in the oceans.



Near-sighted on land
The penguin is near-sighted on land, but posses exceptional vision in the water. The penguin's eyes are attuned to the colors of the sea – green, blue-green, and violet. They need this excellent vision to avoid leopard seals and killer whales, which are their primary predators in the ocean. On land their main enemy are skuas, large birds which snatch penguin chicks from nests.

Hurtigruten's Antarctica Cruises

Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and South Africa
The larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates. Major populations of penguins are found in: Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and South Africa.

Monogamous pairs
Penguins form monogamous pairs for a breeding season, though the rate the same pair recouples varies drastically. 

Two eggs in a clutch
Most penguins lay two eggs in a clutch, although the two largest species, the King and the Emperor Penguin, lay only one. With the exception of the Emperor Penguin, all penguins share the incubation duties. These incubation shifts can last days and even weeks as one member of the pair feeds at sea.

Penguins belong to the order Sphenisciformes and the family Spheniscidae.

Etymology of the word "penguin"
The etymology of the word "penguin" is highly disputed.

Temperate Zone
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.

Drink Salt Water
They can drink salt water because their supraorbital gland filters excess salt from the bloodstream. The salt is excreted in a concentrated fluid from the nasal passages.

Hurtigruten's Antarctica Cruises

Main source: Wikipedia



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