In the middle of Antarctica’s unforgiving and ruthless cold landscape, the diet of emperor penguins rises as a tale of survival. These magnificent creatures depend on krill, fish, and sometimes squid to survive on this icy land. However, problems like climate change and global warming are posing challenges to their food sources and survival. Emperor penguins‘ flexibility enables them to endure the hardest conditions and weather.
What do Emperor penguins eat?
Emperor penguins are carnivores because they feed on fish species, so their diet consists of:
- Squids
- Krill
- Fish
- Amphipods
- Crustaceans
These foods help them survive in the cold Antarctica. Emperor penguins are different from the other penguins that feed on surface prey, they plunge to great depths around 1800 feet just to hunt their food and are capable of remaining submerged for around 20 minutes
What do baby emperor penguins eat?
Baby Emperor penguins are also known as chicks, they eat and live on the foods hunted by their parents. At first, they eat penguin milk from their parents. As they grow up Emperor penguins chew the food first before feeding it to their babies from their mouths. This helps the chicks to learn how to eat by themselves.
How do Emperor penguins hunt?
Emperor penguins are great swimmers, they hunt by diving deep into the ocean and swimming underwater to catch their food. They can sometimes dive as far as 1800 feet. With the help of their strong wings, they can glide through the water and catch fish and krill. Emperor penguins have sharp beaks to catch their prey. After successfully hunting their prey they go back to the surface to breathe and then dive back into the ocean if they feel hungry again.
How much do Emperor penguins need to eat?
Emperor penguins need to eat a notable amount to stay healthy and survive harsh weather. When they are taking care of their babies, they eat about 4.9 to 6 pounds of food every day. This helps them to stay energetic, stay warm, take care of their chicks, and live in cold areas where they live.
How do they survive during winter?
Emperor penguins stay warm in winter by huddling together and having thick fat feathers. But sometimes they move to the south where the weather is harsh. This is the season when they breed. The females lay the eggs and then dive into the sea in hunt of food, leaving their eggs in the care of their males.
What are Emperor penguins’ predators?
Emperor penguins don’t usually have many predators on land because they live in such a harsh and cold place., where there are not any chances for many animals to survive. However, they do have to face threats in the oceans, which includes leopards, seals, and sometimes killer whales. These animals might catch penguins while they are swimming in the ocean.
Can Emperor Penguins harm humans?
Emperor penguins are not known to harm humans and cannot impose any threat on them. While in fact, they are more cautious and keep their distance from people if they feel threatened, they protect and defend themselves.
