Top 11 Penguin Facts That Would Surprise You

(In Celebration of Our New Penguin Crew Socks)

Here at SockAndShop.com, we're proud to announce the release of our newest socks: Penguin Socks.

In celebration of our new penguin crew socks, we're going to share the top facts about penguins.

1. There are 17 total species of penguins. all 17 are found exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, including countries such as South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, as well as many small islands in the southern Pacific Ocean.

2. Penguins lost the ability to fly millions of years ago, but their powerful flippers and streamlined bodies make them very accomplished swimmers. However, penguins are the fastest swimmers and deep divers of any bird. The fastest of all the penguins is the Gentoo Penguin, which can reach swimming speeds up to 22 mph.

3. Fossils place the earliest penguin relative at some 60 million years ago, meaning an ancestor of the birds we see today survived the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

4. While it varies by species, many penguins are monogamous, meaning they will mate with the same member of the opposite sex every season.

5. In some species of penguins, it is the male penguin which watches the eggs while females leave to hunt for weeks at a time. Because of this, pudgy males with enough fat storage to survive weeks without eating are most desirable. This is why in some species of penguins it's common to see overweight males.

6. Both penguin parents will care for their young for several months until the chicks are strong enough to hunt for food on their own. This is perhaps a reason penguins stay monogamous: They want to ensure the other parent is around to take care of their baby.

7. If a female Emperor Penguin's baby dies, she will often "kidnap" an unrelated chick.

8. Despite their lack of visible ears, penguins have excellent hearing and rely on distinct calls to identify their mates when returning to the crowded breeding grounds.

9. Because they aren't used to danger from animals on solid ground, wild penguins exhibit no particular fear of human tourists.

10. Penguins can spend up to 75% of their lives in the water. They do all of their hunting in the water. Their prey can be found within 60 feet of the surface, so penguins have no need to swim in deep water.

11. Penguins’ eyes work better underwater than they do in the air, giving them superior eyesight to spot prey while hunting, even in cloudy, dark or murky water, or where water is turbulent.

Order Your Penguin Socks Today

Like all of our crazy, novelty crew socks, all socks are made to order and shipped FREE! All socks are created looking identical to the product image, so you can be sure you'll be receiving socks just how they look in the photo. We also use polyester socks to ensure your socks are both the highest level of quality and comfort.

Sources:

MentalFloss.com

FactRetriever.com