Kate Garst, age 13, of Coon Rapids, Iowa, for her question:

Do penguins really live on the Galapagos Islands?

The Galapagos Islands straddle the equator, just west of Ecuador. We assumed that the charming penguins are birds of the chilly south polar regions and it's hard to imagine them enjoying life in the tropics. But nature is full of surprises. Perhaps they got there by accident. Some suspect that their ancestors were swept from their Antarctic homes by the strong Humboldt Current that drives northward, off the west coast of South America.

The penguins of the Galapagos are pearly grey birds with snowy white bibs. The attractive markings up their necks and over their velvety heads look like narrow white ribbons. These cold climate birds are quite comfortable because their islands are washed by the cool waters of the Humboldt Current. They stand about 20 inches tall  ¬which is taller than the 12 inch high blue penguin of Australia, though much less impressive than the three foot high emperors of Antarctica.