Learn about:
Gentoo Penguins
Gentoos live and have their babies in some of the coldest places on earth, near Antarctica. They stay warm with waterproof feathers and a thick layer of blubber.
7 amazing facts about the Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua):
- Gentoos are the speediest swimmers of all penguins. They can zoom through the ocean at more than 20 miles per hour!
- How long can you hold your breath? Gentoos can hold their breath for up to 7 minutes at a time!
- Although not the biggest of penguins, gentoos can get fairly large: an adult gentoo can grow to almost 3 feet tall and over 13 pounds.
- Did you know that these birds are carnivores? Gentoo penguins hunt in the cold ocean waters for squid, fish, and krill.
- Hunting can be a dangerous activity for gentoos. Predators such as seals, sea lions, and orcas wait in the waters outside penguin colonies to get first bite at penguins diving in.
- Gentoo penguins are very romantic... to begin their courtship, a male penguin presents a female penguin with a pebble. If the female accepts the gift, they use it to start building a nest of rocks and pebbles for their eggs.
- Gentoo penguins are monogamous - that means they only have one partner for their whole lives.
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White Caps
You can always tell a gentoo penguin by their distinctive white-feather caps: a white stripe that goes over the top of their head, from eye to eye, like a hat.
Fast Fins
While they aren't very useful on land, gentoo penguins' fins are perfect for high-speed swimming. The flat, airplane wing-like shape of the fins lets penguins flap through the water at incredible speeds. They can also stop and turn on a dime, allowing gentoos to escape even faster predators like orcas.
Long Tails
Gentoos have longer tails than nearly any other penguin species. In fact, the first part of their scientific name, Pygoscelis, is Latin for "rump-tailed." When waddling on land, their tail brushes the ground side to side. Their long tail really comes in handy for swimming, where it is used for steering underwater.
