Penguin Comparrison
By Gunther Zach and Rajiv
Differences between African and Arctic Penguins
Appearance,At first glance, emperor and Adelie penguins look similar. Both have that distinctive penguin shape, with long bodies, flipperlike wings and long beaks. They're both black on their backs, heads, wings and tails, and white on their breasts and stomachs. The main difference comes when comparing their relative sizes. Emperor penguins measure around 45 inches tall and weigh between 48 and 80 pounds. Adelie penguins measure roughly 27 inches tall and weigh between 8 and 11 pounds.
Habitat
Both emperor and Adelie penguins live exclusively in the Antarctic. The largest populations of Adelie penguins can be found in the Ross Sea, whereas emperor penguins are rarely found outside the 66th and 78th latitudes. Adelie penguins tend to live on large, coastal ice shelves but move to ice-free beaches to make their nests. Emperor penguins, on the other hand, almost never nest on land, preferring to do so on ice platforms, sometimes as far as 50 miles from open water.