Spheniscidae

Penguins

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Spheniscidae

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Pygoscelis papua
Aptenodytes patagonicus Miller, 1778
Pygoscelis adeliae (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1841)
Pygoscelis papua (Forster, 1781)
Spheniscus mendiculus Sundevall, 1871
Spheniscidae Bonaparte, 1831
Pygoscelis papua (Forster, 1781)
Spheniscus mendiculus
Spheniscus magellanicus

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Table of Contents

General Description

Fur and feathers get grip on ice: seals and penguins

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Fur and feathers of seals and penguins help them get a grip to climb ice floes and snow thanks to their stiffness.

     
  "For the seals of the icy seas and the penguins of the antarctic shore this gliding and braking mechanism is vital. When they leave the water to climb an ice floe, they get a grip with their stiff fur or feathers. They can scale 60° inclines in this manner. When they rush back into the water, they simply slide down on their stomachs. Numerous other animals that live in the snow have bristles on their running or creeping surfaces, for the same mechanical reasons." (Tributsch 1984:73)
  Learn more about this functional adaptation.
References
  • Tributsch, H. 1984. How life learned to live. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. 218 p.

Glands remove salt: penguins

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Penguins help handle excess salt in their diet via specialized salt glands.

     
  "To handle excess salt loads of marine life, penguins have specialized salt glands in the facial region with histology similar to renal tissue." (Miller 1978:103)
  Learn more about this functional adaptation.
References
  • Miller, R. E. 1978. Zoo and wild animal medicine. W. B. Saunders Philadelphia.

Feathers protect from water: penguin

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The feathers of penguins prevent water from penetrating to the skin due to their stiff, tightly packed structure.

   
  "The penguins (below) lost the power of flight some 100 million years ago, and have no flight feathers on their wings. Their stiff close-packed feathers form a think insulating mat that is impervious to water and provides a good streamlined surface for swimming." (Foy and Oxford Scientific Films 1982:111)
  Learn more about this functional adaptation.
References
  • Foy, Sally; Oxford Scientific Films. 1982. The Grand Design: Form and Colour in Animals. Lingfield, Surrey, U.K.: BLA Publishing Limited for J.M.Dent & Sons Ltd, Aldine House, London. 238 p.
Cynthia Parr. Editor. "Spheniscidae". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/7986". Accessed 21 Mar 2010.