企鹅Penguins.docVIP

Dancing penguins IN the heart of Antarctica is the kingdom of Emperor Penguins 帝企鹅 . Here, you are nobody unless you can sing. This is bad news for Mumble. He is the worst singer in the world, but hes a natural born tap dancer 踢踏舞者 . Though his mum thinks this little skill is cute, both his parents know that without a special song, Mumble may never find his true love. Penguins are flightless birds belonging to the family Spheniscidae. World-wide there are 17 species of penguin, all of which breed in the Southern hemisphere. The name is believed to have originated from the Welsh pen gwyn which means white head. The name was originally applied to Great Auks, which are flightless birds that lived in the northern hemisphere, before being hunted to extinction in the 19th Century. Great Auks looked similar to penguins, and were also unable to fly, which is why they were killed off so easily by sailors who used them for food. 选自Introduction to Penguins Penguins Penguins are birds highly adapted for marine life, having a shape that enables extreme agility underwater. They also have a waterproof coat of dense feathers and a well developed layer of fat for insulation. All penguin species are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, but the greatest numerical concentrations are on Antarctic coasts and sub-Antarctic islands. Gentoo Pygoscelis papua sub-antarctic islands , adélie [阿德列企鹅] Pygoscelis adeliae Antarctic coasts and chinstrap penguins Pygoscelis antarctica Antarctic Peninsula breed in the southern spring. Females lay only one egg usually and males share in incubation and chick rearing. Predation by brown skuas and sheathbills is a major cause of egg and chick loss, though complete breeding failure can occur at times of low food availability. Two migratory species of crested penguins, the macaroni Eudyptes chrysolophus and rockhopper Eudyptes chrysocome , breed on sub-antarctic islands. Crested penguins are unique in that the first of two eggs in a clutch