Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. These penguins can grow up to four feet tall and weigh 50-100 pounds, with females and males being similar in size.

Males and females both have deep black feathers on their head, face, throat, back, tail, and the dorsal side of their wings. The under parts of the wings and belly are white leading up to pale yellow on the breast. Under the mandible is the deep orange and yellow patch characteristic of the emperor penguin.

In Antarctica’s freezing waters, emperor penguins can hit pressures 40 times stronger than that of the surface. This usually leaves land-based organisms with severe barotrauma, which is any damage done to body tissue from changes in pressure; however, the emperor penguin has developed ways to combat this. First, their bones are solid rather than air-filled. Second, they can slow their heart rate to as low as 15-20 beats per minute and shut down nonessential organs!

To combat the cold, emperor penguins have dense feathers that provide 80-90% of its insulation with 58 feathers per square inch! Muscles allow them to keep their feathers erect on land and flat in the water to waterproof their skin. The emperor penguin is also very good at thermoregulation to keep warm or cool. If they are too hot, they can be seen holding their wings out and exposing their undersides. To stay warm, they will huddle together, shiver, or walk.

The emperor penguin can only be found in Antarctica, either spending their entire lives on the ice or in the surrounding waters. In fact, this species of penguin is the only bird species able to breed in such a frigid environment. They are usually found on stable ice packs near the coast and up to 11 miles offshore where cliffs and icebergs can protect from the harsh winds.

Emperor penguins usually dine on fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, with fish being their primary food source. These penguins are efficient swimmers that exert pressure with both its upward and downward strokes, reaching average speeds of about 7 mph and holding their breath for 20 minutes!

Once prey is caught, emperor penguins use the rear-facing barbs on their tongue to prevent it from escaping.

Mating season starts in March and April when all mature emperor penguins travel inland. Males will walk around making a loud courtship call until a female returns it.

After mating, females will lay one one-pound egg and carefully transfers the egg to the male so he can incubate it in his brood pouch, while the females leave to hunt for 2-3 months. Like other penguin eggs, these are fairly thick shelled to minimize breaking risk in transfer.

By the time the chick hatches, the males will have fasted for over 100 days but can still feed the chick crop milk until the moms return; if the mom comes later, the chick will pass away. Once she returns, the mates will call to each other. Through hundreds of other calls, she is able to pick out her mate.

After two months, chicks will begin molting into their juvenile plumage and stop depending on their parents for food.