January 20, 2012
Put on your best black and white outfit - it’s PENGUIN AWARENESS DAY!
Here are some fascinating facts about penguins, from my book of the same name.1. Although they walk awkwardly on land, Penguins are champion swimmers and divers.Most penguins can swim five or six miles per hour, and some can put on a blazing burst of speed of as much as 15 miles (24 km) per hour! (the fastest a person has ever run is a little over 13 miles per hour).
2. An adult penguin can recognize its own chick’s distinctive call from among thousands huddled together against the cold.
3. The father penguin balances its egg on his feet for approximately 65 days, covering it with his brood patch to keep the egg warm through blinding storms and below-freezing temperatures.
Click on this link to read other stories that I’ve written here about Penguins, including one about how you can help to ensure that penguins and their habitats are protected.
Enjoy this video from National Geographic Kids about Emperor penguins and how they protect themselves extremely cold conditions that would be too much for humans to survive.
Write and tell me how you celebrate Penguin Awareness Day!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
