Penguins, despite being members of the bird family, cannot fly. After all, they spend most of their lives hunting underwater for fish and other marine animals. Their legs, located far behind, together with the tail, act as a rudder. And the wings, having lost their original purpose, became stiff, like strong oars. But what is the penguin covered with - wool or feathers? Indeed, when scuba diving, they deftly direct the body of the bird at the right rate. And in the water they move very fast. They use wings as fins, wave them, as if they are flying in the air.
Does the penguin have fur or feathers?
The skin of these amazing waterfowl is covered in many black and white feathers. They protect them from predators, for example, from a sea leopard or killer whale, which, when hunting, very often are not able to distinguish the white color on the penguin’s stomach from the surrounding light surface of the water. If, on the contrary, the leopard looks from an elevated position, then it may well confuse the black back of the bird with the darkness of the ocean. Therefore, penguins for their own safety should wear these white and black tuxedos. Feathers grow on the entire surface of their body, which distinguishes these birds from other species in which they are located in strictly defined places.
Why are these big birds great swimmers?
So, the body of the penguins is covered with feathers, between the smooth layers of which there is air, which allows them to stay on the water. It is also a protection against the cold. In addition, the birds' bodies look like torpedoes, which makes them excellent swimmers, rapidly gaining speed from 6 to 12 kilometers per hour. On land, they use wings and tail to maintain balance in an upright position.
Young penguins usually do not dive deep and prey on their prey from the surface of the water. In contrast, adults are able to dive very deep into the ocean. For example, an emperor penguin can dive for 22 minutes to a depth of more than 560 meters. These birds cannot breathe underwater, but they can hold their breath for a very long time, especially the emperor penguin. Sometimes they appear above the surface of the water to take in air, then return back in search of food.
Appearance
Having dealt with the question of what the body of the penguin is covered with wool or feathers, it is worth mentioning the specific features of these birds. The feathers of them are very close to each other, white-black, white-blue or white-gray with rare bright elements in color. However, they do not perform the functions associated with the flight, but their thick layer with adipose tissue provides very good isolation from the cold sea water and the harsh climate of Antarctica. Their body length is 40-122 cm and weight is from 1 to 30 kg.
On land, penguins move in small steps, swaying awkwardly from side to side, or glide on their stomachs. Such gliding allows them to move very quickly, significantly saving power. And when they want to move faster or overcome steep cliffs, they jump up to a height of 5 meters. Short legs serve to control them in the water, and the membrane on them (like ducks) facilitates swimming.
Interesting Facts
These birds do not have external ears. Their hearing organ is two small holes located in the same place as the ears of a person. What is the skin of the penguin around them? Also with small feathers. Hearing for such waterfowl has the same meaning as for all birds, especially since they track each other through mutual calls.
Why are penguin fur or feathers not covered in ice? A group of Chinese scientists found that penguin feathers do not freeze due to their special structure. Just water drains before it can freeze. After a series of experiments, it was proved that drops of liquid are retained on the body for a very short time. This is largely due to the ability of these birds to regulate their body heat.