Emperor penguins baby fact # 1
The Emperor penguins baby hatch from an egg after around 65 days of incubation. The egg is laid by the female Emperor penguin in May or June, and will then weigh around 450 grams (1 pound). The Emperor penguins are the only penguins that breed during the Antarctic winter; all other penguin species prefer the warmer summer season. The Emperor penguins begins their courtship in March or April, when the temperature can be less than - 40 degrees Celsius.

Emperor penguins baby facts # 2
The parents of the Emperor penguins baby are a monogamous couple that stays faithful until the chick has been raised. During the next spawning, they can choose other mates or continue to breed with each other. Most penguins prefer to choose a new mate each breeding season.

Emperor penguins baby fact # 3
The Emperor penguins baby will hatch at breeding site far from the sea. Adult Emperor penguins can travel up to 90 kilometers to reach a suitable breeding site. When the female Emperor penguin has laid her egg in May or June, she will have very little fat left on her body and must leave the breeding site as soon as possible to find food in the ocean. The male Emperor penguin will stay at the breeding site and care for the egg with the Emperor penguins baby inside by placing it in his warm brood pouch. As mentioned above, the egg needs to be incubated for approximately 65 days before the Emperor penguins baby is ready to emerge.

Emperor penguins baby facts # 4
When the Emperor penguins baby hatches, the male will place the baby penguin under the brooding pouch and start to extract a white milky substance. This substance functions as a nutritious baby food and is produced by a special gland in the esophagus of the male penguins. (An esophagus is found in all vertebrates, it is the muscular tube through which food travels from the mouth to the stomach.) Until the female penguin returns, the male penguin will eat nothing and live solely off his fat reserves. To conserve energy, the male penguins spend most of their time sleeping. They huddle together in larger groups to protect themselves from the cold and harsh Antarctic winter winds. The winter winds can reach a speed up to 200 km/h (120 mph) and they make the cold Antarctic weather even harder to endure. According to the Beaufort wind force scale, winds that exceed 117 km/h (72 mph) are considered hurricanes.

Emperor penguins baby fact # 5
The female will return to the Emperor penguins baby after roughly two months of feeding out in the ocean. Amazingly enough, she can manage to find her mate and their Emperor penguins baby among hundreds of male penguins. The male penguins let out special calls that are recognized by their respective female partners.

Emperor penguins baby fact # 6
When the female has returned to her Emperor penguins baby ,she will start feeding it by regurgitating food from the ocean. The food has been stored in her stomach, and during the two months of feeding she has also been able to recuperate from the earlier loss of fat. The male will leave the Emperor penguins baby to his partner and head for the sea for some much needed feeding.

Emperor penguins baby fact # 7
After a few weeks at sea, the male penguin will return to his partner and the Emperor penguins baby at the breeding site. Both parents will then care for the baby. They will make sure that it stays off the ice and feed it by regurgitating food.

Emperor penguins baby fact # 8
A young Emperor penguins baby can expect to live for more than 20 years, as long as it manages to stay away from predators and other dangers. Some records indicate that Emperor penguins can live even longer – up to 40 years. The Emperor penguin reaches sexual maturity at approximately five years of age.

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