How many degrees can penguins survive?

Different species of penguins have different abilities to withstand the cold.

For example, penguins living in Antarctica can live and breed in the severe cold of -60°C.

Galapagos penguins living near the equator can survive at temperatures of 40°C.

Penguins living in the Antarctic continent and surrounding waters have good cold resistance. Most penguin feathers have good thermal insulation effects and can reduce the rate of heat loss in cold seawater.

At the same time, some penguins can control the blood flow to their limbs, and have well-developed armpit veins, which can help warm the blood flowing back to the heart.

Equatorial penguins use cold water to maintain body temperature during the day; they spend their nights on land. When the weather is hot, they spread their flippers to increase heat dissipation. In very hot temperatures, they will pant quickly like dogs to dissipate body heat or lose heat from the ends of the body.

Extended information:

Types of penguins

There are 18 independent species of penguins. The largest species is the emperor penguin, which averages about 1.1 meters. Tall, weighing more than 35 kilograms. The smallest penguin species is the little blue penguin (also known as the fairy penguin), with a body height of 40 cm and a weight of 1 kg. It has its own unique structure. The density of penguin feathers is three to four times greater than that of birds of the same size. The function of these feathers is to regulate body temperature.

Although penguin feet are basically the same as those of other flying birds, their bones are hard and their feet are shorter and flatter. This feature, combined with short wings that resemble two oars, allows penguins to "fly" underwater. Although the Antarctic is extremely cold, penguins have been tempered by blizzards for tens of millions of years, and their feathers have turned into overlapping and densely connected scales.

This special feather coat is not only difficult for seawater to penetrate, but even if the temperature is nearly 100 degrees below zero, it is impossible to break through its thermal insulation defense line. Antarctica has a lot of land and a wide sea surface. The abundant marine plankton has become an abundant food source for penguins.

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