All About Emperor Penguins
Emperor Penguins live and breed in the coldest climate on earth, in Antarctica. Emperor Penguins are also the largest of all penguins. These penguins measure around 4 feet tall and weigh between 70-90 pounds. The female penguin lays one large egg, which is immediately rolled onto the top of the father penguin's feet and covered by a thick piece of skin, which hangs down from the father's stomach. For the next 9 weeks the father penguin stands up and huddles in a group of other male penguins, while the mother penguins go out to sea to find food. By the time the mother penguin returns from sea, the father penguin will most likely lose about half of his body weight. When the chick hatches the mother penguin cares for her new baby and the father penguin goes to sea to feed. When the chick is 7 weeks old it will leave the nest and join crèches with the other chicks. The chicks will remain in the crèches for 6 months until they are full grown and then they will leave the crèches and go to sea. The Emperor Penguins have short wings that help them to dive up to 900 feet to catch fish and escape predators. These penguins are able to stay warm because they have a thick layer of blubber as well as, large amounts of body oil that allows them to stay dry in the water.