Penguin Facts:

Penguins are a flightless bird that lives in Antarctica, but what fun facts do you know about penguins? Check out these top interesting facts!

1. They eat snow as a source of fresh water.
2. The name comes from Welsh terms ‘pen’, meaning head and ‘gwyn’, meaning white.
3. A penguin is an unofficial symbol of the United States Libertarian Party.
4. Penguins lay eggs.
5. In cold places, male penguins balance eggs on their feet and cover with belly flap to keep them warm.
6. When the chick hatches, it immediately starts calling so that its parents will learn to recognise its voice.
7. Penguins can’t fly, they swim.
8. The Linux mascot ‘Tux’ is a penguin.
9. Penguin chicks have fluffy feathers.
10. A group of penguins are called colonies or rookery.
11. They usually move in large groups to keep warm.
12. Penguins can jump 6 feet out of water.
13. Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.
14. Most penguins can swim about 15 miles per hour.
15. Penguins have insulating layers of air, skin, and blubber.
16. They are ancient species that first appeared around 40 million years ago.
17. There are 17 different species of penguins in the world, the most commonly recognised being the Emperor penguin.
18. The first penguin fossil to be discovered was found in rocks that were around 25 million years old.
19. A prehistoric skeleton of a penguin was found and is actually bigger than any living penguin that exists, it is believed they were up to 5ft tall (1.5 metres).
20. The four penguins in the film Madagascar are named Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private.
21. Penguins open their feather to feel the cold.
22. Their white bellies blend with the snow and sunlight making it difficult for an underwater predator to see them.
23. About 75% of a penguins life is spent in water, where they do all their hunting.
24. Penguins use their wings for swimming.
25. In general, a penguins lifespan ranges from 15 to 20 years.