Type: Bird
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 15 to 20 years
Size: 45 in (115 cm)
Weight: Up to 88 lbs (40 kg)
Group name: Colony
Emperor penguins live in colonies of hundreds of thousands of birds on the continent of Antarctica, which is covered by a sheet of ice nearly a mile thick. While their parents are away finding food, emperor penguin chicks huddle close together to keep warm in groups.
Emperor Penguin video.
What does a Emperor Penguin look like?
Emperors are the largest of all penguins, easily recognised by their black cap, blue-grey neck, orange ear-patches and bills and yellow breasts. There is a thick layer of blubber under the Emperor's skin. In their chicks, it is covered by a dense layer of woolly down. An overlapping coat of feathers grows over this layer. The outer feathers are covered in a greasy waterproof coating. It's mainly the layers of feathers that keep the water off the penguins' skin and help retain heat.
Where do Emperor Penguin live?
Most Emperor penguin colonies are located on the fast ice, i.e. frozen sea-ice. That is not the same as an ice-shelf. Ice-shelves occur at the end of glacier as they are flowing into the ocean. Ice-shelves are freshwater ice. Only two colonies are known on land.
What does a Emperor Penguin eat?
The Emperor penguin feeds primarily on shoaling fish, small crustaceans and squid. They can dive more than 300 metres deep, and remain under water for as long as 22 minutes; but these are extremes. Most of the time, emperors are feeding down to around, say, 150-200 metres, particularly in winter. The majority of their dives last only 3-6 minutes.
How big is an Emperor Penguin?
Emperors are the largest of all penguins—an average bird stands some 45 inches (115 centimeters) tall. These flightless animals live on the Antarctic ice and in the frigid surrounding waters.
How do Emperor Penguins stay warm?
Emperor Penguins huddle together to escape wind and conserve warmth. Individuals take turns moving to the group's protected and relatively toasty interior. Once a penguin has warmed a bit it will move to the perimeter of the group so that others can enjoy protection from the icy elements.
Why are Emperor Penguins good divers?
The diving abilities of emperor penguins has been widely studied, they have been found to have:
1) an increased ability to store oxygen in the body
2) the ability to tolerate low levels of oxygen in the body
3) the ability to tolerate the effects of pressure.
Did you know this about Emperor Penguins?
Emperors are the largest penguins.
They are only found on Antarctica.
They eat fish and crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp.
They have a black head, chin and throat.
They have yellow patches on their throat and near their ears.
They have short wings to help them dive.
They have brown eyes.
They weigh about 60 to 90 pounds.
They are about 36 to 44 inches tall.
This penguin lives in the harshest weather by employing physiological adaptations and cooperative behaviors.
The female penguin lays one egg which is kept warm by the male penguin.
They do not make a nest.
Males can lose half their weight while keeping an egg warm.
Male penguins stand together in a big huddle for up to 9 weeks.
They huddle together to escape from wind and keep themselves warm.
They spend long winters on open ice.
Males eat nothing when taking care of their eggs.
Mother penguins take care of their chicks with the warmth of their own brood pouches.
Emperor penguins have a life span 20 years.
Emperor Penguin images
Emperor Penguin Wallpapers
Download free Emperor Penguin wallpapers, click on the image to open the large version.
Emperor Penguin wallpaper 1
Emperor Penguin wallpaper 2
Emperor Penguin wallpaper 3
Emperor Penguin wallpaper 4
Emperor Penguin wallpaper 5
Emperor Penguin wallpaper 6
Emperor Penguin Coloring pages
Print free Emperor Penguin coloring pages, click on the image to open the large version.
Emperor penguins live in colonies of hundreds of thousands of birds on the continent of Antarctica, which is covered by a sheet of ice nearly a mile thick. While their parents are away finding food, emperor penguin chicks huddle close together to keep warm in groups. 
