In honor of Penguin Awareness Day – a day which everyone celebrates, obviously– we’d like to assist you in becoming more aware of penguins.
Just for the record, the holiday is a totally different occasion than World Penguin Day, which takes place annually on April 25.
So yes, there are two days … solely dedicated to penguins.
And social media is quite excited:
It's #PenguinAwarenessDay... when penguins mate they stay together for life... is my penguin out there? #Penguinspic.twitter.com/gqHlcCcCdP
— National Days (@NationalDays) January 20, 2016
Bit shaky, but did you know penguins love bubbles? #PenguinAwarenessDay@EdinburghZoopic.twitter.com/gdMvd1pd7k
— Anna Roper (@annalouiseroper) January 20, 2016
Happy #PenguinAwarenessDay! https://t.co/AWE4HymFRO
— ZSL London Zoo (@zsllondonzoo) January 20, 2016
In case it’s been a while since you’ve brushed up on your penguin trivia, we’ve listed 10 interesting, penguin-related facts for you below (Sources: Discovery.com, Metro and First News). Enjoy.
- Average penguin diving speeds range from 3.7 to 7.5 mph.
- According to recent research, penguins were once able to fly. They apparently lost their ability due to evolutionary advantages, such as having wings that enable them to swim effectively in order to hunt and travel.
- The cliché “stay-at-home mom” role is actually played by the father, who stands over the egg to keep it warm while the mother sets off to find food.
- There are 18 different species of penguin, all of which can be found in the Southern Hemisphere.
- The earliest known penguins lived about 66 million years ago – a time in which dinosaurs still roamed.
- Most penguins practice monogamy, sticking to one partner for years on end, even when separated thousands of miles apart.
- Penguins have no fear of human contact. Since they have no natural land predators, they hardly blink an eye when a human approaches.
- The Emperor penguin is the largest of all living penguins, standing up to 3.7 feet tall.
- Though the popular belief is that penguins live solely in cold climates, that is not true; there are also South American and African penguins. They even exist in Australia.
- Penguins have about 100 feathers per square inch, giving them more feathers than most other birds.
