Dawn Thomas, age 12, of Gastonia, N.C., for her question:

CAN PENGUINS FLY?

Largest penguin in the world is called the emperor. He stands about four feet high and weighs close to 100 pounds. There are 12 other different species and they vary in size down to the smallest who measures a modest 12 inches high. All of the breeds have extremely thick layers of fat that help to keep them warm in cold water.

The penguin is a bird. He has short, thick feathers that almost look like fur. But they're feathers, all right. They're white on the belly and black on the head and back. Some penguins have crests of long feathers on the sides of their heads and patches of brightly colored feathers on their thick, short necks. Even though he's a bird, the penguin cannot fly. But he makes up for the handicap by being an excellent swimmer.

You'll find penguins only in the southern half of the world  not including zoos. He's a favorite in North American zoos, although it is difficult to keep him in captivity since he can easily catch diseases and die.

Penguins like the cold sea currents that originate in Antarctica and they can be found in great colonies in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and in the Arctic regions.

Scientists figure the penguin lost his ability to fly millions of years ago. But his wings have developed into flippers which also serve as paddles. With his webbed feet, he can swim and dive with the greatest of ease.

Penguins spend much of their time in water looking for the fish they eat. But when it comes time to having a family, they move to dry land where they build their nests in large colonies called rookeries. One rookery may have as many as a million birds in it. And each one find his way back to his own nest, too.

Some of the species make their nests on grass, although many choose the bare ground. Their eggs are laid in shallow hollows scraped in the dirt or grass. A few species even lay their eggs in tunnels that are dug into the ground.

Mother penguin will lay from one to three eggs, depending on the species, with most laying two. The eggs are hatched in one or two months.

A female emperor penguin leaves the Antarctic water and lays a single egg on the bare ice and then immediately returns to the water. Then the male comes along. It is his job to sit on the egg and keep it warm until it hatches. He actually rolls the egg up on his feet and then covers it with the lower part of his belly which has several rows of fat on it. Both mother and father provide food and warmth for the young after he is born.