Staying just the right temperature is a problem for penguins. They need to stay cool enough when the sun is beating down on them, and warm enough when the temperatures drop below zero!

How do you stay warm enough in winter-time? Or cool enough in the hot summer?

Penguins are warm-blooded, like you are, but they have insulation that helps them withstand extremely cold temperatures. They use their small feathers, which are covered with a layer of light oil and are overlapped like shingles on a roof. They ruffle up their feathers and make pockets of air just underneath their feathers, where there is a layer of blubber, which helps hold in the heat.

Penguins also have other ways of adapting to their environment:

• their bodies are shaped like submarines to help them cut
• through the water
• they have solid, heavy bones to increase body weight for
• easier diving
• penguins have stiff, short wings that can be used like paddles
• layers of insulation on their bodies help to keep heat from
• escaping

Try the experiment to see what it feels like to be a penguin!!

For fun, click on the Penguin Friends Mobile link below, read the directions, and make your own mobile!!!

Penguin Friends Mobile
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/reproducibles/profbooks/sc980109a.htm