The Emporer Penguin

Did you ever wonder how emperor penguins could swim in the water so long? That’s because they have a layer of fat under their skin to keep them warm. To find out more things you’ve always wondered about emperor penguins, read on. The emperor penguin, scientifically called Aptenodytes forsteri, is the largest of all living penguins. It is about 3.7 feet high and weighs from 60-90 pounds. A large head, short neck, and slender …

…one of its killers is the human race. Explorers, sealers, whalers, and fisherman have made the penguin colony a source of fresh meat and eggs. But since the egg ban in 1969, the eggs have stayed in their nests. The extraction of oil from penguins was important in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. An estimated 2.5 million penguins were killed in a 16-year time span. That stopped in 1918 because of public arguments and cheaper chemical products.