Emperor penguin
Classification and Evolution
- Found in Antarctica
- Breed during the coldest time of the year on ice
- Flightless birds, small wings, help them fly through the water
- Kingdom- animalia
- Phylum- Chordata
- Class- Aves
- Order- Spenisciformes
- Family- Spheniscidae
- Genus- Aptenodytes
- Species- Aptenodytes Forsteri
- their closes relationships are King penguins
Anatomy and Appearance
- stands up to more than a meter in height
- feathers vary with black on the back and white on the front, and patches of yellow towards the neck
- black clawed feet are webbed to help them swim, and use there bellies to move
- have a tripple layer of feathers, and thick layer of blubber under their skin
- well adapted for swimming
- live together in colonies that contain thousands of individuals
- they find a mate and use vocal calls to find each other and return to the breeding sight
- weigh 88 pounds
- live up to 40 years old
Diet, prey, and predators
- carnivorous animal
- hunts and eats animals in the surrounding waters
- mostly eat fish, krill, and squid
- leopard seal and the Southern Giant petrel are the predators