The emperor penguin is a species of penguin known by
the scientific name of Aptenodytes forsteri. The emperor
penguin is found only on Antarctica, and may reside
on sea ice, shelf ice, or land. With an estimated total
population of 595,000 in 2009, the emperor penguin is
considered a near threatened species by the IUCN.
As the largest species of penguin, the emperor penguin
on average measures between 43 and 51 inches in height
as an adult, meaning large adults may stand at over
four feet tall. Adult emperor penguins typically weigh
between 50 and 100 pounds, with their weights depending
on their respective heights and sexes. Male emperor
penguins tend to be heavier than their female counterparts.
The emperor penguin has the streamlined build typical
of penguins, as well as flat and stiff wings that resemble
flippers. It has black plumage on its back, tail, head,
chin, throat, and the backs of its wings, and white
plumage on its belly and the fronts of its wings. This
white may blend into a pale yellow towards the breast
in some penguins. The emperor penguin also has distinctive
yellow patches around its ears.
A carnivore, the emperor penguin subsists primarily
on fish, and also consumes a large amount of cephalopods
and crustaceans. The ratio of each of these consumed
by an emperor penguin depends upon the availability
of various prey species in an emperor penguin's area;
therefore, different populations of emperor penguins
have slightly different diets.
Despite their large size, emperor penguins face some
natural threats. Emperor penguins, particularly adults,
may fall prey to leopard seals and orcas, or killer
whales. Emperor penguin chicks face even more danger,
as they are preyed upon by birds such as south polar
skuas and southern giant petrels. The former, however,
poses a relatively small threat to chicks, tending only
to prey on dead chicks.
Emperor penguins reach sexual maturity around the age
of three, and typically begin to breed between the ages
of four and six. Mating usually begins in March or April,
during which males perform courtship displays to attract
a female mate. Once a pair has been made, several other
courtship rituals occur prior to mating. Within a mating
season, penguins remain faithful to one partner. However,
the majority of penguins do not remain faithful to a
single partner over multiple mating seasons.
The female emperor penguin lays a single egg at the
beginning of the winter. Each female's mate then incubates
their egg throughout the season by rolling the egg onto
its feet and covering it with a flap of skin on its
belly. During this time, the female feeds in the sea,
having exhausted its nutritional stores while producing
the egg. When the chick hatches, the male keeps it safe
and warm on his feet for the first few weeks of the
chick's life.
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