Penguins have always been looked upon the cute flightless birds that have given a lot of laughs in “Madagascar” series. While they are native to the temperate zones only, just 1 species is found in the Galapagos island. Ranging from just 1 ft. to more than 4 ft. tall, these graceful creatures have been an important part of the ecology. On World Penguin Day here are a few unknown facts about these cute as button flightless birds :
1. Penguins are flightless birds, they have specially adapted flippers which help them swim.
2. There is only 1 species of penguin that resides near the equator and lives in Galapagos Island.
3. They can survive all their life on sea-water.
4. They balance out their lives by spending half on land and half in the ocean.
5. The largest species of Penguins is called the Emperor Penguins which can reach a little above 4 ft.
6. The longest they can stay under water is 20 minutes but only the Emperor penguin can do this feat.
7. The Gentoo Penguins are considered the fastest amongst the species as they can reach a swimming speed of 22 mph.
8. They are smart enough to survive the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and are not afraid of humans at all.
