Emperor Penguins
Scientific Name: Aptenodytes Forsteri

The largest of all the penguins is the Emperor penguin. They can grow to almost 1.2 m tall and may weigh up to 40 kg. Males may lose as much as half their body weight while the care for their eggs during the bitter winter months. They can live as many as 20 years.

 Emperor penguins do not build nests. The female will lay one large egg that the male will roll on top of his feet  and cover it with a thick fold of skin that hangs from his belly. The egg will be kept warm, or incubated, for about 9 weeks.
While the male Emperor penguins are protecting the eggs, the female will return to the sea to feed. The male, at the same time will lose about half of his body weight, because he does not eat at all while the egg is resting on his feet, under the flap of skin.  For protection from the bitter cold and wind, the male penguins will huddle together in small groups. They take turns being on the outside edge so that some of the time they can be in the middle where it is a little warmer and protected from the wind.
After the eggs hatch, the female returns from feeding in the sea. She trades places with the male. The male will now go to sea to feed and the female will care for the young chick. After a few weeks, the male will return from feeding at sea. Then the male and the female will take care of the chick, keeping it warm, and  feeding it with food in their stomachs.

The parents will care for the chicks for about 7 weeks. Then, the chicks will begin to gather together in small groups called crèches. The crèches are formed for protection and warmth. The parents will still provide food for the chicks. The parents will call for the chicks. Each chick knows the sound of its parents' call and will go to them for food and then return to the crèche.
When the summer season begins in the Antarctic, about six months after the chicks hatch, the chicks are full grown. Now all the penguins, younger and older alike will return to the open sea to feed.

The design of the penguin's body helps it to survive in a harsh environment. Their bodies are kept warm because of a layer of downy feathers beneath the outer feathers. Oil on the outer feathers makes the penguins look shiny, but it really keeps water away from the downy feathers below. This thick layer of down traps and keeps body heat while preventing cold water and cold air from getting next to the body. A layer of fat or blubber under the skin helps to insulate the penguin from the cold environment, too.

Another important factor in the survival of the penguin is the shape of the body. They are built like torpedoes with short wings. The wings help the bird to dive to 900 feet underwater. Diving deeper allows them to hunt and catch larger fish, one larger fish is better than two small ones because it takes less energy to catch. They can swim between 10 and 15 kilometers per hour. This is important because this is faster than the Leopard seal which hunts penguin for food.