Nearly all penguins live in the southern hemisphere

Nearly all penguins live in the southern hemisphere
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Contrary to media representations of the North Pole, no penguins live up there. The 17 penguin species (some scientists say there are 20) are spread out between Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa. The only exception is the Galapagos penguins, who live close to the equator on the Galapagos Islands and occasionally venture into northern hemisphere waters.

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Penguins have been around for a long time

Penguins have been around for a long time
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An amateur fossil hunter discovered the bone of an extinct penguin ancestor, and scientists say it’s 61 million years old. That means it probably outlived the dinosaurs that went extinct 65.5 million years ago. Fossils also suggest that this prehistoric bird could fly and could grow up to 150 centimetres tall.

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They eat a lot

They eat a lot
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Penguins are carnivores, and their diets consist of fish, krill, crabs, squid, and other sea creatures. According to Smithsonian Magazine, they can eat over one kilogram of food every day during summer months, but eat only a third of that during the winter.

They sneeze

They sneeze
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Their sneezes serve an important purpose, though. Because they eat so much seafood, penguins also consume a lot of saltwater. To get rid of all that salt, their supraorbital glands above their eyes filter it out of the bloodstream, and then, the penguins excrete it through their bills or their sneezes.

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The littlest penguin may be the cutest

The littlest penguin may be the cutest
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Little blue penguins (also called fairy penguins) really are little. They only grow to be 33-38 centimetres tall, and adults only weigh one kilogram.

Emperor penguins are the largest species

Emperor penguins are the largest species
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They’re around 120 centimetres feet tall and can weigh up to 40 kilograms.

Penguins are expert swimmers

Penguins are expert swimmers
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No, these adorable birds can’t fly. Instead, they use their wings to fly through the water (so to speak) at speeds up to 40 kilometres per hour.

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They can’t help but waddle

They can’t help but waddle
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Penguins’ bodies are shaped to easily glide through water, with a long body and short legs. So when they walk, the result is a clumsy-looking waddle. Penguins also get around on land by hopping and tobogganing, where they glide on their bellies and use their feet and wings to gain speed.

They spend most of their time in the water

They spend most of their time in the water
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According to Ocean Conservancy, penguins spend about 75 per cent of their lives in water. They go on land to mate, lay eggs, and raise their babies.

Speaking of penguin babies…

Speaking of penguin babies…
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They’re called chicks or nestlings. They form little groups called crèches to look out for predators and keep each other warm while their parents look for food.

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