Habitat

Considered marine birds, penguins live up to 80 percent of their lives in the ocean, according to the New England Aquarium. All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, though it is a common myth that they all live in Antarctica. In fact, penguins can be found on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also a myth that penguins can only live in cold climates. The Galapagos penguin, for example, lives on tropical islands at the equator.

The habitat for penguins is going to depend on the type you are talking about. Some of them are able to live in the coldest parts of the world. Others live very close to the equator where it is quite warm. All penguins though reside within the Southern hemisphere. They are found on every single island there. Some penguins live on thick sheets of ice most of the time due to the extremely cold weather. Others live on sandy beaches and small islands.

All penguins have to live close to a body of water where they can hunt for food. They need plenty of fish, krill, squid, and crustaceans to be able to survive. This is why they mainly live close to cold water currents. These currents are able to pull a great deal of these types of foods to the surface for them. That is why they are often found along the coastal regions of South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

What natural surroundings does the animal need to thrive?

Research has also shown that when their natural habitat is upset they may not reproduce. They won’t take part in the mating rituals so no eggs are laid. This can prevent a particular species of penguins to drop rapidly in numbers. Other times one of the partners is gone too long to look for food. This is due to the changes in the habitat. Therefore the other partner abandons the eggs because he or she can’t go any longer without their own food.

Humans are a huge threat to the penguin habitat. As they continue to take over such lands, it gets harder for the penguins to continue their natural way of life. Humans are also known for polluting the water with chemicals, oil, debris, and more which further takes away the purity of the natural habitat that penguins need for them to survive. It is important that we do our best to protect the habitats of penguins if we want to see their numbers increase.

Where does the animal make its home?

Most penguins spend about ¾ of their time in the water. Their bodies are designed to easily adapt to the water. They have feathers that help them to move but also to keep the water from reaching their body. This is important as they have to keep their body temperature regulated. It is also helpful because it seems that the colder the water happens to be, the more their main food sources will be found in it. Penguins use what they have readily available on land too. For example they may use grass, rocks, sticks, and other debris to build nests and burrows. This is where they will lay their eggs as well as care for their young when they are born until they can go to the water to hunt for food on their own.