Emperor penguin

Description

The Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica.The male and female are similar in plumage and size,reaching 122 cm (48 in) in height and weighing from 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb).The dorsal side and head are black and sharply delineated from the white belly,pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches.Like all penguins it is flightless,with a streamlined body,and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.Its diet consists primarily of fish,but can also include crustaceans,such as krill,and cephalopods,such as squid.In hunting,the species can remain submerged up to 18 minutes,diving to a depth of 535 m (1,755 ft).It has several adaptations to facilitate this,including an unusually structured haemoglobin to allow it to function at low oxygen levels,solid bones to reduce barotrauma,and the ability to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions.Its diet consists primarily of fish,but can also include crustaceans,such as krill,and cephalopods,such as squid.In hunting,the species can remain submerged up to 18 minutes,diving to a depth of 535 m (1,755 ft).It has several adaptations to facilitate this,including an unusually structured haemoglobin to allow it to function at low oxygen levels,solid bones to reduce barotrauma,and the ability to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions.