Emperor Penguin
Emperor penguins are the largest kind of penguin still in existance. The emperor penguin has also found its way into film and movies such as March Of The Penguins. The species has also been the subject of literature, cartoons, comics, and much more, making it one of the most recognizable birds in the world.
Emperor penguins are one of two species of penguins that live in the harshly cold Antarctic climate. An full-grown adult Emperor penguin can reache an average height of about 3 feet 9 inches and can weigh as much as 75 to 100 pounds. An emperor penguin can live as long as 40 years, but in the wild, the average lifespan is closer to 20 years.
Adult emperor penguins are notable for having two golden teardrop-shaped spots on the sides of their necks, along with the characteristic black and white tuxedo-like plumage look that most penguins have. The Emperor penguin babies have a distinct black and grey colored down until they get their full plumage.
The emperor penguin species are very capable swimmers and are extremely comfortable in the water. They have a hydrodynamically shaped body that helps themm swim and dive to find food, and they can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes. It is no problem for a penguin to dive over 800 feet underwater. An emperor penguins diet consists of mostly fish, krill (small crustaceans), and squids. On the ground, you see emperor penguins wobbling around when they walk, but in the water they are super graceful and fast.
An Emperor penguin reaches sexual maturity at approximately five years of age. By that time, they will travel over 50 miles inland to their breeding site. The courtship process begins in March and April, when temperatures reach 40 degrees below zero and winds up to 140mph.
The female emperor penguins lay a one-pound egg, but it is the male penguin that will incubate the egg because the female penguin is exhausted and needs to eat because its nutritional reserves are depleted. So while the male penguin incubates the egg using an abdominal fold found between his belly and legs for approximately 65 days, the female goes out to the sea to eat and replenish her nutrients. When the mother penguin returns, she rejoins her family and helps to take care of the young little baby penguin. The male penguin hands over control of the egg to her. The male transfers the egg to the female very carefully, because at such cold temperatures, if the egg touches the ground at all, the baby dies. The egg cannot stand the freezing temperatures of the ice
The emperor penguin is a very social species. They can usually be seen huddled together against each other in tight groups to help fight the cold. Supposedly, at present time, the emperor penguin population is at nearly 200,000 breeding pairs and is considered a stable species.
As for natural predators, the emperor penguin has to worry about leopard seals, sharks, giant petrels (birds), and orca. Young emperor penguins sometimes are preyed on by birds known as skua.