Go Greener Tips

They walk out in the snow in black and white tuxedos, and they gather around in an icy valley. The weather there is cold; about 45 degrees below zero. But that’s the way that they prefer it at the penguin rally. Almost sounds like a social gathering in the snow, doesn’t it? Well it is a get-together of sorts, with lots of slipping and sliding.

These natives of the South Pole have adapted to some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Strangely enough that is where penguins are most suited to survive. It is not that they don’t have any adversities down there. No, they do indeed. They are actually part of the food their chain. But you will not find any complaining penguins. They seem to like their odds in this lifestyle.

Penguins are prepared to handle the subfreezing temperatures of Antarctica. They have a thick layer of fat below their feathers. This layer serves two main functions; to insulate their warm bodies against the cold temperatures, and to serve as a food store when finding food becomes difficult. So the next time you see a chubby penguin, don’t laugh. This guy is probably one of the most likely penguins to survive the long winters of the South Pole.

A great deal has been written about the way penguins move through the snow. Some videos and documentaries refer to their movement as a march. However, if you observe them carefully for any period of time, you will see that most penguins move rather awkwardly on the ice. The way they move would best be described as waddling. They travel on the snow at about 1 km per hour. Sometimes they even push themselves along on their bellies. That’s alright by them. This type of movement conserves valuable energy. When threatened, Penguins can easily pick up their pace. A penguin in its home environment can easily outrun a man through the snow.

Where this fine-feathered bird truly excels in movement, is in the water. All of its in-the-snow clumsiness is replaced with graceful flight when it is in the water. While in the water some types of penguins can swim at speeds of up to 12 km per hour. At these speeds they can leap out of the water and glide for about half a second. Most species of penguins will only do this when they are being chased by a predator from below.

With all of its humorous peculiarities, the penguin was an easy selection when deciding which animal to include on our personalized children’s CD called Sea Animal Adventures. From their unique, tuxedo-like appearance, to their awkward waddling through the snow, these animals have no problem capturing the attention of adults and children alike. One of the personalized children’s songs on the Sea Animal Adventures CD is called “Penguin Rally.” In this child’s personalized song we have shown how much like us the penguins sometimes behave. Or, is it that we sometimes behave like the penguins? After all, who was here first, humans or penguins?