With temperatures dropping to around -75 degrees Fahrenheit (-60 Celsius), watching penguins stand on the ice with naked feet looks painful. Luckily, they have special circulation that allows them to do it without freezing. We imagine they’re not exactly warm, but it’s something.

Penguin feet have evolved to survive cold weather over time. Their legs don’t require much heat to keep working. Their feet restrict blood flow when it’s really cold and keep the temperature just above freezing point so they don’t lose body heat through them. With the ability to regulate where they store heat, penguins are able to keep their eggs warm so they can hatch. 

A similar thing happens to humans, it’s just not as extreme. You’ve noticed how your hands and feet get cold in the winter weather; this is because the blood gets redirected to the core of your body, to your vital organs.

The post Why Don’t Penguins Feet Freeze? appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

During April, when the breeding season for the Emperors begins, each female can produce a single egg. The job is then taken over by males, who will be guarding the eggs for the upcoming months, while the females spend the winter in the open ocean.

Each egg needs to be incubated for 65 days so the male penguins will do their best to keep them warm when the outside temperatures drop to nearly -40 degrees. They can go without food for so long that they are left with half their body weight when the females return in August.

From then, the females take the lead and males go into the ocean. The babies grow rapidly and are independent by December.

The post Male Emperor Penguins Are the Best Animal Dads appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

With temperatures dropping to around -75 degrees Fahrenheit (-60 Celsius), watching penguins stand on the ice with naked feet looks painful. Luckily, they have special circulation that allows them to do it without freezing. We imagine they’re not exactly warm, but it’s something.

Penguin feet have evolved to survive cold weather over time. Their legs don’t require much heat to keep working. Their feet restrict blood flow when it’s really cold and keep the temperature just above freezing point so they don’t lose body heat through them. With the ability to regulate where they store heat, penguins are able to keep their eggs warm so they can hatch. 

A similar thing happens to humans, it’s just not as extreme. You’ve noticed how your hands and feet get cold in the winter weather; this is because the blood gets redirected to the core of your body, to your vital organs.

The post Why Don’t Penguins Feet Freeze? appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

During April, when the breeding season for the Emperors begins, each female can produce a single egg. The job is then taken over by males, who will be guarding the eggs for the upcoming months, while the females spend the winter in the open ocean.

Each egg needs to be incubated for 65 days so the male penguins will do their best to keep them warm when the outside temperatures drop to nearly -40 degrees. They can go without food for so long that they are left with half their body weight when the females return in August.

From then, the females take the lead and males go into the ocean. The babies grow rapidly and are independent by December.

The post Male Emperor Penguins Are the Best Animal Dads appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.