The Emperor Penguin the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and lives on Antarctica. They survive—breeding, raising young, and eating—by relying on some clever adaptations. This illustration was created in 2022. Are you interested in getting a print? Click here to go to my Etsy shop!
1. Standing at about 1.1 meters tall and weighing up to 40 kilograms, Emperor Penguins are the largest of the 18 penguin species found today, making them quite an impressive sight to behold. 2. There are thought to be around 54 Emperor Penguin colonies in the Antarctic. A satellite survey that took place in 2012 discovered about half of these, and most remain unvisited. 3. These Penguins are uniquely adapted to the harsh conditions in the Arctic. They have two layers of feathers and proportionall smaller beaks and flippers than other penguin species in order to prevent heat loss. They also have feathers on their legs, unlike most other bird species. 4. Emperor Penguin colonies work together to huddle for warmth. They shuffle around packed tightly, and each take a turn on the outer ring of the group, where it's cold. 5. An adult Penguin eats about 2-3 kg of fish per day, and can eat about twice that amount in order to build up their store of body fat for long winters or for feeding their chicks.