Lonely baby penguin

Posted by ElevenTwentySix (Grove City, OH, United States) on 10 January 2008 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.

Like all penguins, the chinstrap penguin is flightless; the bird’s reduced wings are used to quickly paddle through the water. The chinstrap penguin’s primary food item is krill, a small crustacean, although it will hunt fish as well.

The chinstrap penguin is able to withstand swimming in freezing waters due to its tightly packed feathers, which provide a waterproof coat. Thick blubber deposits provide insulation as well, and blood vessels in the flippers and legs have evolved intricate structures to preserve heat.