Hobbies And Interests
General Characteristics
Penguin traits vary according to species. The largest, the emperor penguin, stands at 3.5 feet and weighs up to 90 pounds, while the smallest, the fairy penguin, stands at 16 inches -- and weighs 2 pounds. Males and females look alike. Penguins are densely feathered -- they have about 100 feathers per square inch -- and this density helps keep frigid waters away from the skin.
Mating and Gestation
Mating among penguins occurs in spring or summer in Antarctic and sub-Arctic locations, and can happen anytime among species located in warmer climates in places like northern Chile or Peru. Females lay two eggs at a time and keep them warm over a period of 30 to 64 days before they hatch. They share this responsibility with the father of the offspring. In some species, like the emperor penguin, the females find food at sea as the males incubate the egg; when it hatches, the females take care of the chick while the male leaves to find food.
Raising Chicks
Chicks hatch by pecking away at their eggs from the inside, which can take up to three days before they are able to break through the shells completely. They are completely reliant on their parents for food. In some species, like the Rockhopper penguin, the father keeps them warm while the mother finds food and regurgitates it to feed both the offspring and her mate.
Fledglings
Fledglings are penguin chicks that have become newly independent of their parents. This usually takes place when they lose their immature down feathers through molting, and the down is replaced by waterproof feathers. These waterproof feathers allow the fledglings to enter the water by themselves, which means that they no longer have to rely on their parents for food. Chicks become fledglings between seven weeks and 13 months, depending on the species of penguin, with full maturity occurring between 2 to 5 years.