The Scrum XXOo

What is the gestational period of the 

animal?

 

There are some great qualities of penguins found in their reproduction process. They 

can mature for reproduction from about 3 to 8 years of age. Generally the smaller 

species of penguins will mature at a younger age than the larger ones. However, the 

smaller ones also seem to have a life span that is much shorter.

Emperor penguins establish loose breeding colonies on the pack ice surrounding the 

Antarctic continent. In May, female Emperors will lay a single egg after a 63-day 

gestation period, and then will pass the egg over to her mate while she goes off to sea 

to feed.

All penguins lay eggs once conception is successful. They may lay one or two eggs at a 

time. The size of them will vary too depending on the type of penguin you are talking 

about. The eggs have to be incubated for a period that can be from 25 to 45 days 

depending on the type of penguin. A male Emperor penguin incubates the egg for 64 

consecutive days until hatchling. In all penguin species both the male and the female 

take turns caring for the eggs until they mature.

Most penguins gestation periods last about 63 days. The females then lay the egg and pass it on to 

the male penguin while they go off to feed. Not all penguins...Humboldt penguins gestation periods 

are wayyy longer...7-8 months, then the males take over the egg while the female goes off to sea for 

krill, fish, squids, etc. The females eat many fish before leaving the sea, and come back to the 

rookery(place that she laid the egg) 2 months later...Once the penguin chick starts to peck at the egg 

shell, it takes 3 days for it to hatch...When the mother feeds her chick, she brings back up from her 

stomach the food she swallowed at sea(regurgitation) and the chick eats it from her mouth...It may 

sound disgusting, but to penguins (and most other birds)that is a way of life... No, the humboldt 

penguins gestation lasts for about 42 days, the emperor penguin and most others does last for 

approx 63 days.

Emperor penguins establish loose breeding colonies on the pack ice surrounding the Antarctic 

continent. In May, female Emperors will lay a single egg after a 63-day gestation period, and then 

will pass the egg over to her mate while she goes off to sea to feed.

How many offspring does it typically have 

at a time?

A penguin usually lay two eggs per breeding cycle; however they lay them 

several days apart. These eggs usually hatch about a day and a half apart from each 

other.

How long do the offspring live with the 

parent?

Penguin chicks stay in the nest (or on the parent's feet in the case of King and Emperor penguins) until 

they can move about by themselves. The parents then go to sea to fish leaving the chicks behind. 

Burrowing penguins like the Little Blue penguin leave the chicks in the burrow and return to the burrow to 

feed them. With many other penguins, the chicks form themselves into large groups called creches and 

the parents call their youngsters out of the creche to feed them. Once the chick starts losing its down and 

its feathers begin to appear, the parents abandon the chicks and go to sea. The chick should have 

enough blubber by then to complete fledging and go to sea itself.

Chicks stay with their parents until they have grown a waterproof set of feathers. For 

King penguins this can take as much as 15 months, but for most species it is a matter 

of only 7 to 10 weeks.