The 5th Day of Patmas

On the 5^th Day of Patmas, I give to you…PENGUINS!!!

I don’t care what anyone says, Penguins are the best animals in the entire world.  And, to me, its not truly Christmas season if there’s not awesome penguins around.  If I could, all of my decorations would be penguin-based.  My wrapping paper for a few years running now has been penguin based, and my favorite part of my parents’ holiday decorations is the giant inflatable penguin on the front lawn.

So, with that being said, it’s time to present 5 of my favorite kinds of penguins!

Emperor Penguin

The emperor penguin stands about 4 feet tall and is the largest of the penguins.  It weighs 70 to 90 pounds.  It has yellow patches on each side of its head and a yellow patch on its breast. The feet and eyes are black. The beak is dark purple. It breeds on Antarctica, surviving the bitter cold.  The female emperor lays one egg during the winter, and then gives it to the male to incubate or keep warm. He keeps it on his feet for nine weeks, warming it with his brood pouch. The female returns to the sea to feed. When she returns, the male goes to sea to feed. He returns, and they both feed the chick. The parent keeps the chick warm with the brood pouch. When the chicks are older, they huddle together in a crèche to keep warm and to be protected against skuas.  The emperor penguin can dive up to 900 feet deep.

King Penguin

The king penguin is the most colorful penguin. It has an orange collar and a bright golden breast. The king penguin is the second largest penguin, standing about 3 feet tall. It weighs 30 to 40 pounds. The feet are black, and the eyes are black. The very long beak is black with orange on the sides. This penguin breeds on the islands north of Antarctica.  The female king penguin lays only one egg. Once it is laid, the female returns to the ocean to feed, while the male keeps the egg warm on his feet. When she returns, the male leaves to feed. He returns and both parents take turns feeding the chick. King penguins raise only one chick every other year.

Rockhopper Penguin

The rockhopper penguin is one of the crested penguins. It moves not by waddling, but by hopping. It is an aggressive penguin and is quick to attack other penguins, if bothered. The rockhopper is about 20 inches tall, and weighs 5 to 10 pounds. It has long yellow feathers that form eyebrows and stick out from both sides of its head. The beak and feet are orange, and the eyes are red. 

Rockhoppers live on the islands north of Antarctica. A pair makes a nest by creating a bowl shape in the ground and lining it with dried grasses. Usually, the female lays two eggs. The second is the larger, and that is the one that the parents raise. The male and female take turns caring for the egg. Once the egg hatches, the female goes to sea to feed, while the male cares for the chick. When the female returns, she feeds the chick by bringing food up from her belly.

Rockhoppers seem to "pop" out of the water onto the rocks when they return to shore. They live in huge colonies and one after the other can be seen jumping from the water onto the ice.

Gentoo Penguin

The gentoo penguin has a white patch on its head. It is about 32 inches tall and weighs 10 to 19 pounds. The gentoo is the largest of the stiff-tailed penguins. Its has beak is red and its feet are orange.  Gentoos are the fastest swimmers. They eat mostly krill, but also eat some small fish. They hunt around the islands north of Antarctica where they live.  Gentoos live in large colonies. They make nests, sometimes using old bones and feathers that have molted. The female lays two eggs. Sometimes both chicks survive to adulthood.

Chinstrap Penguin

The chinstrap can be identified by the black line on its chin, making it look as if it wears a hat that ties under its chin. It has orange feet and a black beak, and its eyes are black. It stands about 28 inches tall and weighs 9 to 14 pounds. Chinstraps live on icebergs in the ocean around Antarctica. Krill and small fish are their foods.

The chinstrap is the boldest of the penguins. It will fight if other penguins threaten it. These penguins make nests of pebbles and stones. The female lays two eggs, both of which are kept warm and hatch. Raising two chicks is unusual, as most penguins are able to raise only one.

Once the chicks are about a month old, the parents leave in groups for the open ocean to hunt for food. They return from time to time to feed the chicks. While the parents are gone, the chicks huddle together in crèches to stay warm and be safe from predators.  As the chicks grow, they lose their downy feathers by molting. New sleek, smooth feathers grow in.

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So there you go, a sampling of penguins!  My favorites are definitely the Emperor Penguin.  I’ve always thought that a penguin would be a legit pet.  I’d put a bow tie on it, and teach it how to get beer out of the fridge.  Otherwise, he’d just chill out and eat fish and watch football.  I think it could work!

You know, if you’re a legit penguin fan like I am, you should go to the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio.  They have an amazing penguin exhibit there.  So many penguins!  It was, truly, heaven.

So, now its officially Christmas Season…the Penguins have made their appearance in the Days of Patmas!  Epic!