Emperor Penguin Research Paper

As many may know, penguins in the Antarctic have a rough life. In between November and February, every 251 adelie breeding colonies line their nests with pebbles to prepare for their two eggs that are about to be laid. These nest are made slightly higher than the surrounding land, so when the temperature rises, causing to the snow to melt, their nest do not end up flooding. The male and female parent take equal duties caring for their eggs and chicks. Duties including; protecting their egg or chick from skuas and feeding their young regurgitated krill. After two months, the chicks become independent. Fully grown, these two foot three, eleven pounded bird have black backs and a white front, creating a tuxedo effect with a white ring around …show more content…
Unlike the adelie, the emperor penguins lay their 1.1 pound egg in the harshest of the weather, between April and December. Much like any other penguin, the skuas prey on the penguins eggs and young. Due to the yellow feathers around it’s neck, the emperor penguin is considered the most colorful living penguin. Approximately 80 to 90% of their feathers are used for insulation from the frigid temperatures. With the average height of forty inches and weight of eighty-eight pounds, these elegant animals are the heaviest and tallest of any penguin. Diving can be a very useful tool for penguins.The emperor penguin can dive to a depth of 1,800 feet (550 meters) and hold their breath for up to twenty minutes. A normal heart rate for a penguin is approximately sixty to seventy beats per minute. Before a dive their rate increases to 180 to 200 beats because they hypersaturate their blood with oxygen. As they dive into the water, their heart rate decreases to 100 beats per minute. Almost immediately, their heart rate slows down to twenty beats for the remainder of their dive. The heart rate drastically decreases so they can use the stored oxygen in blood and muscles for a longer

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