Five fun and interesting facts about penguins
From children's films to chocolate bars, people seem to love a penguin! But how much do you know about this family of birds? We've got some facts that will help answer all of your pressing penguin ponderings.
1. Can penguins fly?
Despite being part of a family of birds, penguins are not actually able to fly! Penguins' wings have evolved over the years into flippers, more suited to swimming the seas than soaring the skies. Gentoo penguins can reach speeds of up to 22.4mph (36 kmp/h) when swimming!
2. What is a group of penguins called?
Penguins are social birds, usually living in large colonies that range in size from a few hundred to tens of thousands. These groups can have a lot of different names, usually dependent on what they're doing!
The most common names for a collective of penguins are a colony, a rookery or a huddle. A group of swimming penguins is called a raft and a group of walking penguins is called a waddle.
3. Where do penguins live?
Though they're most famously associated with Antarctica, penguins can be found in a number of places across the southern hemisphere, including Australia, New Zealand, Africa and South America.
Whilst most penguins live in the southern hemisphere, there is one species of penguin that resides on the Galápagos Islands on the equator, part of which sits just inside the northern hemisphere.
But what does that mean? Well, it means if you're UK-based your best chance at wandering into a waddle is at an aquarium or zoo.
4. Where do Emperor penguins live?
While some penguins can live across large swathes of the southern hemisphere, wild Emperor penguins are only found in Antarctica!
The largest species of penguin, clocking in at approximately 120cm in height, the Emperor penguin is uniquely adapted to survive the harsh conditions life in Antarctica can thrust upon them, with temperatures sometimes falling as low as -50°C (58°F). Brrr!
5. Do penguins have knees?
In short, to avoid kneedlessly going on, yes!
Penguins' legs are made up of a femur, knee, fibula and tibia, much like a human's! A penguin's knees, along with the rest of their upper leg, are hidden beneath their feathers - giving their legs a short, stubby appearance to the naked eye.
Where can I learn more about penguins?
Want to know more about penguins and the places they live? Check out more from the BBC: