Emperor Penguins in Antarctica
Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are true pygophiles- ice lovers. They are one of the few animals to overwinter in Antarctica. The males huddle together through the harsh winter, carrying their one precious egg on their feet until the female returns to relieve them. The parents take turns caring for the egg and making long, dangerous journeys to the open ocean to feed. Eventually, the egg hatches and the chic grows enough to head to the ocean it’s self, just before the harsh winter sets in again. It is a tough life being the Emperor of Penguins.
The largest of the penguin species, the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) may also have the toughest life.
Spending the winter in one of the harshest environments on the planet, they survive only by working together.
The elegant colors on the bill and around the head make for a beautiful contrast to the constant white of the landscape.
While out at sea they often hunt alone, on the ice in the winter they stick close together.
When walking becomes tiresome, they lay on their bellies and slide along, "tobogganing" through the snow.
Adults can be over 4 feet tall, making them the largest penguin on Earth.
Weather they are surviving the freezing winds and snow of the dark Antarctic night or diving through fridged oceans chasing fish and avoiding hungry killer whales, these penguins live an extreme life.
Enduring extreme cold, standing 4 feet tall, and displaying beautiful colors, its easy to see why these are known as the "Emperors."