Penguins, the coldest birds on earth

Penguins, the coldest birds on earth, are the oldest traveling birds and are known as the "ships of the ocean". There are 18 species of penguins in the world, most of which are distributed and live in the southern hemisphere. Characterized by being unable to fly; the largest species is the Emperor Penguin, with an average height of about 1.1 meters and a weight of more than 35 kilograms. The smallest penguin species is the little blue penguin (also known as the fairy penguin), with a body height of 40 cm and a weight of 1 kg.

Penguins are typical seabirds. Although they cannot fly, their swimming ability is among the best among birds. Many waterbirds swim by paddling through the water with their webbed feet. Although penguins also have webbed feet, they are only used as rudders to control direction. The power to move forward depends entirely on their paddle-like wings. Flying in the water.

Penguins swim very fast. Emperor penguins can swim about ten kilometers in one hour, and white-capped penguins have a record of swimming thirty-six kilometers in one hour. They are the fastest swimmers among all birds. Penguins often use dolphin style swimming, which means they dive for a certain distance, emerge from the water to breathe, and then dive back down to continue swimming. In fact, penguins are also the diving champions among birds. They have dived for 18 minutes and 265 meters underwater.

Penguins in Antarctica live in an extremely cold environment, and the temperature may drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius. However, the penguin's wings can swim at a speed of 40 meters per second and never freeze. American scientists studied the structure of penguin wings and found that their feathers are waterproof. If this principle is applied to aircraft, it can prevent the wings from freezing and reduce the risk of crashes.

It is reported that researchers from the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) analyzed different types of penguin feathers provided by SeaWorld San Diego and found that the micropores on the surface of penguin feathers can preserve air. The glands at the base of the tail secrete oil to cover the feathers, preventing water droplets from penetrating into the feathers and flowing away. At the same time, the water droplets stay in the shape of balls on the surface of the feathers and dissipate heat slowly, so they will not condense into ice.

The coldest birds in the world: Penguins, known as the "Ship of the Ocean", are one of the oldest swimming birds. They have probably settled in Antarctica before the earth wore ice armor. They can survive temperatures of -40°C. Live and breed in severe cold. (Guinness World Records)

animal tags：