Penguin FAQ
Q. How many different types of penguins are there?
A. There are 17 species of penguins. However there are a couple of species such as the gentoo penguin which have 2 recognized sub species. These are sometimes considered separate species, taking the total to 18.
Q. What is the smallest penguin?
A. The blue, or fairly penguin is the smallest penguin at only 40cm tall and weighing only 1kg.
Q. What is the largest penguin?
A. The tallest and heaviest penguin is the Emperor penguin, up to 100cm tall and weighting up to 90 pounds.
Q. What do penguins eat?
A. Penguins eat a range of small prey such as fish, squid, and krill. How much of each depends on the type of penguin.
Q. How long do penguins live?
A. In general most penguin species live to about 20 years in the wild, but can live longer in captivity.
Q. How fast do penguins swim?
A. The fastest swimming penguin is the gentoo penguin which can swim up to 36km/h.
Q. Why do penguins have darks backs and white fronts?
A. This is called counter-shading and helps penguins not be seen by predators such as orca and leopard seals. When they are in the water, looking from below you would see their light coloured front which would help them blend in the sky background, while when viewed from above they will blend in with the dark colour of the deep sea.