The Different Species of Penguin list

Penguins are a family of non flying aquatic birds seen in the southern hemisphere in the cooler climate. Contrary to popular belief, penguins don’t have a natural habitat in the arctic pole.

There are now 17 – 20 species of Penguin on Earth and only two species actually have habitat in Antarctica continent – Adélie penguins and Emperor penguins. The other species live on the islands around the antarctic or in the warmer regions of the antarctic circle.

Penguin species are threatened due to loss of habitat from human impact and climate change.

Here, is the list of 17 species of penguins.

Aptenodytes – great penguins

1. King penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus

2. Emperor penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri

Pygoscelis – brush-tailed penguins

3. Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae

4. Chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica

5. Gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis papua

Eudyptula – little penguins

6. Little blue penguin, Eudyptula minor

7. Australian little penguin, Eudyptula novaehollandiae

8. White-flippered penguin, Eudyptula albosignata (provisional)

Spheniscus – banded penguins

9. Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus

10. Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti

11. Galapagos penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus

12. African penguin, Spheniscus demersus

Megadyptes

13. Yellow-eyed penguin, Megadyptes antipodes

Eudyptes – crested penguins

14. Fiordland penguin, Eudyptes pachyrynchus

15. Snares penguin, Eudyptes robustus

16. Erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri

17. Western rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome

18. Eastern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes filholi

19. Northern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes moseleyi

20. Macaroni penguin, Eudyptes chrysolophus

Today, most species of penguin are endangered mostly due to melting of the ice caps and rising temperature. Humans have their hands dirty for the extinction and endangering of various penguin species as a direct result of climate change due our practices.

References:

http://www.penguins-world.com/types-of-penguins/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin