Fishin' for Facts: Emperor Penguin

• Size:

Emperor penguins can be 3 to 4 ft (1.1 m) tall. They can weigh 65-90 lb (27 to 41 kg).

• Where are they found?

All penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. Emperor penguins may spend their entire lives in the seas surrounding Antarctica.

• What do they eat?

Emperor penguins eat a variety fish and squid.

• Highlights

Emperor penguins are the largest species of penguin. Like other penguins, they spend most of their life at sea. They use their flippers (modified wings) in an up-and-down motion to swim. Though they usually don’t go deeper than 900 ft, emperor penguins can dive up to 1,700 ft. They stay under water for up to 20 minutes.

Who's got the egg? Emperor penguins have a unique incubation process. The female lays the egg (of course). She immediately passes it over to the male. She then heads out to sea to feed. The male incubates the egg for about 60 days. After the female returns, the egg is transferred back. The male heads out to sea to feed. Then both care for the chick until it is able to enter the water to find food on its own.

Remember, during the incubation period, the male's one and only job is to keep the egg warm. He doesn't get to swim, feed, walk around - do anything. During this time he can lose up to 1/3 to 1/2 of his body weight. One of the coolest things about the male is...if the chick hatches before the female returns the male can actually produce a substance (curd-like) to feed the chick. He can only do this for a short time. If the female doesn't return he must abandon the chick to preserve his own life.