Dec 22, 04
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myra
Seen from a distance, a colony of penguins might easily be taken for a group of little men. These sea birds stand erect and flat-footed and are often drawn up in long regular files like soldiers. They walk with a tread so stately and dignified that the sight is very comical. In the species known as the king penguin, the resemblance to man is heightened by the grayish-blue coat on the back. This is set off by black plumage on the head, a white breast, and a yellow “cravat” at the throat.
Prehistoric penguins stood 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. The largest penguins today, members of the emperor penguin species, stand about 3 1/2 feet (1 meter) high and weigh about 80 pounds (36 kilograms). Penguin ancestors could fly as well as any other sea bird. Now its wings are short, paddlelike flappers that are entirely useless for flight. The bird has lived for ages in or near the Antarctic regions, where it has few human or animal enemies. Thus it came to spend all of its time on land or in the water. For generations it did not fly. In the course of long evolution, its wings became small and stiff and lost their long feathers. Now they cannot be moved at the middle joint as can the wings of flying birds. The penguins, however, became master swimmers and divers. Of all birds, they are the most fully adapted to water. Their thick coat of feathers provides a smooth surface that is impenetrable to water. Their streamlined bodies glide through the water easily. The birds use their wings as swimmers use their arms in a crawl stroke, and they steer with their feet. Penguins can swim at speeds of more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) per hour. When they want to leave the water, they can leap as much as 6 feet (1.8 meters) from the water's surface onto a rock or iceberg. Flocks of penguins may stay at sea for weeks at a time. They resemble schools of dolphins as they leap in graceful arcs from the water to take breaths of air. Penguins feed underwater on fish, squids, and crustaceans. In fact, penguins do not know how to eat on land, and must slowly acquire this skill when captured for zoos. Penguins have thick coats of fat to protect them against cold. Hunters kill penguins in huge numbers and boil them for oil. This practice may one day lead to the extinction of these birds. Penguins are also the prey of leopard seals and killer whales. In addition to Antarctica, penguins live on subantarctic islands and on cool coasts of Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and South America. Some species migrate long distances inland to ancestral nesting grounds. Because they cannot walk well on their short legs, the birds often toboggan over the ice on their stomachs. Using their wings and feet to propel themselves, penguins can travel at considerable speeds. Most penguins build a nest on the ground from pebbles, mud and vegetation, or any materials that are available. The female then lays one or two chalky white eggs. The eggs are incubated in turns by both parents, one remaining on the nest while the other goes off to feed. Their unflagging attention is often necessary because some predatory birds will wait in the midst of penguin colonies to snatch an unattended egg or chick. The baby birds are born covered with down and need long care. They are fed by regurgitation. Assemblages of half-grown young are often tended in crèches, or “kindergartens.” The breeding behavior of the emperor penguin is quite different. After laying her single egg, the female leaves to feed. The male incubates the egg by himself, cradling it between the top of his feet and his stomach. For two months the colonies of fasting males remain on the icy nesting grounds, warming and protecting their eggs in temperatures as cold as –40° F (–40° C). By the time the eggs have hatched, the males have lost a third of their body weight. When the females return to care for the chicks, the males are at last free to return to the water for food and rest. Adult penguins bite savagely when they are threatened or molested and show little fear of humans. They may use their wings to batter the shins of persons who intrude on their nesting grounds. Penguins form the family Spheniscidae of the order Sphenisciformes. There are about six genera. The scientific name of the emperor penguin is Aptenodytes forsteri; of the king penguin, A. patagonicus; of the Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae. 
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Dec 22, 04
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imagine a six foot penguin.
SCREEEEEECH!
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