Philip May, age 72, of Navajo, N.M., for his question:
WHY ARE PENGUINS FLIGHTLESS?
Penguins spend much of their lives in the water. They come up on land, however, to lay their eggs and raise families. While on land they gather in huge colonies called rookeries. At times, a single rookery may have as many as a million penguins clustered together. Most species make their nests on grass or on the bare ground. Some dig tunnels in the ground.
A penguin is a bird that stands upright on very short legs. He walks with a waddle, swims very well but cannot fly.
Scientists say penguins are flightless because they lost their ability to fly millions of years ago. When they came out of the sky and decided to stay on land or in the water, their wings developed into flippers. The flippers and the webbed feet are great aids when it comes to diving and swimming.
Penguins are covered with feathers which are very dense and waterproof. They also have thick layers of body fat that help to keep them warm in cold water.
Penguins live only in the southern half of the world. There are 18 species and they vary in size from the four foot tall emperor penguin, who weighs close to 100 pounds, to a tiny guy less than a foot high.
Several kinds of penguins live on the ice of the Antarctic while others can be found farther north in areas that are touched by cold currents that originate in the Antarctica. You will find them living in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and even the Galapagos Islands.
Penguins also live in zoos in most parts of the world. Unfortunately, however, they are difficult to keep in captivity and they can catch diseases easily and die.
After the mother emperor penguin lays a single egg on the ice, the father takes over the job of keeping it warm until it hatches. He rolls the egg onto his feet and covers it with the lower part of his belly, which has many rolls of fat. With the egg still on his feet, he waddles into a large group of other males and they all huddle together to keep warm. For two months, during the worst part of the winter, the males keep the eggs warm. They do not eat during this period. So after the chicks are hatched, the females return to the colony to take care of the youngsters.
After the mother emperor penguin returns to take care of the baby, the father goes out to sea to get food for himself and for the youngster. After about three weeks, the father returns to the colony with food.
The chicks are herded together in tight groups with the adults forming a circle around them to keep them warm. In six months the young penguins are able to go out on their own.