Penguin
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Penguins are birds. They form the family Spheniscidae, the only family of the order Sphenisciformes.
Penguins live on the soutern half of the world: Antarctica, New Zealand, southern Australia, South Africa and South America.
All Penguins have a white underside and a dark (mostly black) upperside. Penguins cannot fly, but they can swim very well. They have good hearing and can see well underwater. The white and black colors are for camouflage (to help them hide) when they swim: a predator looking from underwater sees the white underside of the penguin, which not seen well with the light coming from above; from above the penguin's black upperside can not be seen well in the dark water.
Most penguins eat krill, fish, squid, and other small animals from the ocean, which they catch while swimming underwater.
[edit] Taxonomy
There are 16-19 living species (types) of penguins. The White-flippered Penguin is today generally considered a subspecies of the Little Penguin. It is still unclear if the Royal Penguin is a subspecies of the Macaroni Penguin. It is also possible that northern and southern Rockhopper Penguins are separate species.
[edit] List of Penguins
- Aptenodytes
- King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)
- Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri)
- Pygoscelis
- Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua)
- Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)
- Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)
- Eudyptes
- Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)
- Fiordland Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)
- Snares Penguin (Eudyptes robustus)
- Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli)
- Erect-crested Penguin (Eudyptes sclateri)
- Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus)
- Megadyptes
- Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes)
- Eudyptula
- Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)
- White-flippered Penguin (Eudyptula albosignata)
- Spheniscus
- African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
- Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)
- Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
- Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)
[edit] See also
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