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Tabbikat's Thursday 13 #15

13 Things You Probably Never Wanted to Know About Emperor Penguins

1. Emperor Penguins live in Antartica where it is so cold there are no trees, flowers, or grass.


2. Emperor Penguins are the largest of all the penguin varieties, they grow to be about four feet tall and weigh 48–82 lb.


3. Emperor Penguins are flightless birds.


4. Emperor penquins can swim very quickly, and dive as deep as 1,755 feet below the water's surface.


5. Emperor penguins can stay under water for up to 20 minutes at a time.


6. On land Emperor penguins waddle on their strong webbed feet, hop, and use their beaks and claws to climb up hills. They slide down the hills on their tummies, the same way kids slide down hills on sleds.


7. Fish form the bulk of the Emperor Penguin's diet, which can include crustaceans, such as krill, and cephalopods, such as squid.


8. Like all birds Emperor penguins lay eggs, but they do not build nests because there are no twigs and grass for them to build nests with. Instead after the mother penguin lays the egg she passes it to the father who keeps it safe and warm by resting it on his feet and covering it with a flap of skin called a "brood pouch".


9. Emperor penguin chicks weigh less than a pound and are covered with grey and black fuzz.


10. Baby Emperor penguins eat partially digested food that their mother regurgitates (throws up) for them.


11. Emperor Penguin chicks will stay with their parents until they are about 6 months old and have their adult feathers.


12. Young Emperor Penguins stay in the water or on the water's edge for 4 years after they leave thier parents, then they travel inland and lay eggs of their own.


13. Emperor Penguins are serially monogamous. They have only one mate each year, and stay faithful to that mate for that year. However, fidelity between years is only about 15%.

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