Curious About Penguins

PODCAST 247: CURIOUS ABOUT PENGUINS

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, JUNE 25TH, 2023

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WE’VE LEARNED ABOUT SO MANY ANIMALS OVER THE FIVE YEARS OF THE PODCAST, BUT WE ARE ABOUT TO TURN THE CUTE ANIMAL METER ALL THE WAY UP TO TEN, BECAUSE THE ANIMAL WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT THIS WEEK IS AT OR NEAR THE TOP OF MOST PEOPLE’S LISTS OF CUTEST ANIMALS AROUND.  A FEW YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE WEBSITES WE OFTEN USE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENCE TOPICS, CALLED LIVESCIENCE.COM, RELEASED A LIST OF THE 500 CUTEST ANIMALS IN THE WORLD.  ACCORDING TO THE LIST, THE SEA OTTER IS THE CUTEST CREATURE IN THE WORLD, AND IT’S HARD TO DISAGREE, BUT GUESS WHAT?  FOUR OF THE ANIMALS IN THE TOP 50 ARE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF THE ANIMAL WE’RE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT TODAY.  ARE YOU WONDERING WHICH ANIMAL I’M TALKING ABOUT?  LET’S FIND OUT.

O:  PENTUPLE-MAILBAG!

D:  PENTUPLE-MAILBAG! - THAT’S FIVE!

“HI!  MY NAME IS FINN AND I LIVE IN ONTARIO, CANADA.  I’M 5 YEARS OLD.  I LOVE YOUR PODCAST AND LOVE TO LISTEN TO IT IN THE CAR WHEN WE DRIVE TO SCHOOL AND DAYCARE FOR MY SISTER.  I WOULD LOVE TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT PENGUINS OR PUFFINS.  I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW HOW SOME BIRDS CAN FLY.  MY FAVORITE EPISODE WERE THE ONES ABOUT COMPUTERS AND BUILDINGS.  THANK YOU!  

• FINN FROM ONTARIO, CANADA”

“HI THERE!  MY EIGHT YEAR OLD SON, LINUS, WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF PENGUINS CAN FLY.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!

• LINUS OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE”

“HELLO!  MY NAME IS COLE AND I’M 5 YEARS OLD.  I LOVE THE SHOW!  I LIKE TO LISTEN IN THE CAR ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL.  MY FAVORITE EPISODE IS CURIOUS ABOUT POISON IVY.  I WOULD LIKE TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT PENGUINS.  THEY ARE MY FAVORITE ANIMAL.  HOW DO THEY SWIM?  AND WHY DON’T THEY LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES?  THANK YOU!

• COLE FROM GARLAND, TEXAS”

“HELLO!  MY NAME IS ARI AND I AM 5 YEARS OLD. I HAVE TWO BROTHERS, ONE OLDER AND ONE YOUNGER.  THEY WERE BOTH BORN WITH A GENETIC DISEASE AND I AM A HUGE HELPER TO MY FAMILY, WHILE ALSO BEING AN AVERAGE KID.  I LOVE TO BUILD LEGOS AND I AM REALLY GOOD AT IT.  I LIVE IN TAMPA, FLORIDA.  MY OLDER BROTHER SOLOMON AND I LISTEN TO YOUR PODCAST EVERY DAY WHEN WE ARE IN THE CAR.  I LOVE YOUR PODCAST AND YOU BOTH DO A WONDERFUL JOB EXPLAINING DIFFERENT TOPICS.  I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT PENGUINS.

• ARI OF TAMPA, FLORIDA”

“HI OLIVIA AND JACOB, WE LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  OUR FAVORITE ONE IS THE ONE ON HICCUPS AND FARTS.  COULD YOU PLEASE GET CURIOUS ABOUT PENGUINS, OR FOXES, OR EARWAX, OR SNOT?  

• FROM FRANKIE, AGE 8, AND MARLOW, AGE 6, OF BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA”

O:  WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT ADORABLE PENGUINS TODAY, AND IT’S ABOUT TIME.  OF THE FIVE DIFFERENT REQUESTS WE RECEIVED TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT PENGUINS, FOUR OF THE FIVE WERE SENT TO US OVER A YEAR AGO.  WE ARE SO HAPPY TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT PENGUINS IN THIS EPISODE FOR FINN, LINUS, COLE, ARI, MARLOW AND FRANKIE.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.  ARI, YOU ARE AMAZING FOR HELPING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BROTHERS.  YOU HAVE A BIG HEART AND WE ARE SO LUCKY THAT YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO CURIOUS KID PODCAST.

D:  WE ARE GOING TO LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT PENGUINS THIS WEEK, SO LET’S KICK THE LEARNING OFF WITH THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.

O:  PENGUINS ARE VERY SOCIAL ANIMALS.  THEY LOVE SPENDING TIME IN LARGE GROUPS, AND IT IS VERY RARE TO FIND A PENGUIN ALL ALONE.  THERE ARE A FEW NAMES THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO A GROUP OF PENGUINS.  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS A NAME THAT CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE A GROUP OF PENGUINS?

D:  PENGUINS ARE AN EXAMPLE OF A BIRD THAT CAN’T FLY.  OTHER BIRDS THAT CAN’T FLY INCLUDE OSTRICHES AND EMUS.  PENGUINS ARE EASY TO IDENTIFY THANKS TO THEIR BLACK AND WHITE FEATHERS.  THEY EVEN HAVE A SPECIAL LAYER OF FEATHERS THAT HELP KEEP THEM NICE AND WARM.

O:  THEY SPEND ABOUT 20% OF THEIR LIVES ON LAND, AND THE OTHER 80% IN WATER. THEIR BODIES ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE THEM EXCELLENT SWIMMERS.  THE SHAPE OF THE PENGUIN BODY HELPS KEEP DRAG LOW WHILE THEY SWIM, ALLOWING THEM TO REACH HIGH SPEEDS IN THE WATER.  THEIR WINGS ALSO ACT LIKE FLIPPERS, ALLOWING THEM TO PUSH FORWARD IN THE WATER QUICKLY AND SMOOTHLY.  THEY ARE CAPABLE OF SWIMMING UP TO 22 MILES PER HOUR.  THEY ARE ALSO ABLE TO DIVE DEEP INTO WATER SEARCHING FOR FOOD.  THEY CAN DIVE UP TO 500 FEET DEEP USING THEIR INCREDIBLE WINGS.  

D:  PENGUINS WADDLE WHY THEY WALK, AND THEY SOMETIMES EVEN SLIDE ACROSS THE SNOW ON THEIR BELLIES.  GETTING AROUND THIS WAY HELPS PENGUINS SAVE ENERGY.  

O:  ALMOST ALL PENGUINS IN THE WILD LIVE IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE.  THAT’S THE BOTTOM HALF OF EARTH BELOW THE EQUATOR.  THE LARGEST NUMBER OF PENGUINS CAN BE FOUND IN ANTARCTICA, WHERE MORE THAN FIVE MILLION BREEDING PAIRS OF PENGUINS CAN BE FOUND.  

D:  EVEN THOUGH LOTS OF PENGUINS LIVE IN SUPER COLD AND SUPER DRY ANTARCTICA, THEY CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN LOTS OF WARMER AND WETTER CLIMATES.  FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A PENGUIN, CALLED THE FAIRY PENGUIN, THAT CALLS AUSTRALIA IT’S HOME.  THE FAIRY PENGUIN IS THE SMALLEST OF ALL PENGUIN SPECIES.  FAIRY PENGUINS GROW TO ABOUT 16 INCHES TALL, AND THEY WEIGH ABOUT TWO POUNDS.  

O:  THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER PLACES WHERE PENGUINS CAN BE FOUND THAT ARE A WHOLE LOT WARMER AND WETTER THAN ANTARCTICA, INCLUDING ARGENTINA, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA, AND THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.  EVEN THOUGH MANY PEOPLE THINK OF ANTARCTICA AS THE OFFICIAL HOME OF THE PENGUIN, ONLY TWO OF THE EIGHTEEN DIFFERENT SPECIES OF PENGUIN LIVE IN ANTARCTICA.

D:  PENGUINS EAT FISH, KRILL, AND SQUID, CATCHING THEIR PREY WHILE SWIMMING IN THE WATER.

O:  THERE ARE ALSO A FEW ANIMALS THAT PREY ON PENGUINS, INCLUDING SEALS, SHARKS, AND ORCAS.  

D:  PENGUINS DON’T HAVE ANY TEETH TO HELP THEM EAT THEIR MEALS.

O:  THERE ARE SMALL BARBS ON THE PENGUIN TONGUE THAT HELP THEM TIGHTLY HOLD THEIR FOOD.  BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE TEETH, THEY DON’T CHEW THEIR FOOD, BUT RATHER SWALLOW IT WHOLE.  THERE ARE POWERFUL MUSCLES IN THE PENGUIN STOMACH TO ASSIST WITH DIGESTING FOOD.  

D:  UNLIKE OTHER BIRDS, PENGUINS HAVE BONES THAT ARE SOLID, AND NOT HOLLOW.  THIS SUITS PENGUINS WELL, BECAUSE THEY SPEND SO MUCH TIME IN THE WATER, BUT IT’S BECAUSE OF THE SOLID BONES THAT PENGUINS ARE UNABLE TO FLY.  

O:  THE LARGEST PENGUIN IS CALLED THE EMPEROR PENGUIN.  THEY ARE ABLE TO HOLD THEIR BREATH FOR ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES.  HOLDING THEIR BREATH FOR SO LONG COMES IN HANDY WHEN THEY ARE SEARCHING FOR FOOD.  EMPEROR PENGUINS CAN EAT ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF POUNDS OF FOOD IN A SINGLE FEEDING.  THAT’S QUITE A BIG MEAL.  

D:  SO, WE LEARNED THAT THE FAIRY PENGUIN IS TINY, ABOUT 16 INCHES TALL AND WEIGHING ABOUT 2 POUNDS.  IN CONTRAST, THE EMPEROR PENGUIN GROWS TO OVER 3 FEET TALL AND CAN WEIGH UP TO ABOUT 40 POUNDS.  

O:  BABY PENGUINS HATCH FROM EGGS.  USUALLY, A FEMALE PENGUIN WILL LAY ONE OR TWO EGGS ON THE SHORE.  MOST PENGUINS LAY TWO EGGS, BUT EMPEROR PENGUINS LAY ONLY ONE.  USUALLY, A SINGLE EGG HATCHES, REVEALING A BABY PENGUIN, OR A CHICK.  

PENGUINS TAKE GREAT CARE OF THEIR EGGS BEFORE THEY HATCH.  THE FATHER WILL OFTEN PROTECT THE EGG WHILE THE MOTHER SEARCHES FOR FOOD.  A PENGUIN EGG TAKES ABOUT FIVE WEEKS TO HATCH.  ONCE HATCHED, A CHICK WILL FEED ON PARTIALLY DIGESTED FOOD FROM IT’S MOTHER.   A CHICK WOULD BE HARD TO RECOGNIZE AS A PENGUIN BECAUSE CHICKS START WITH A FLUFFY COAT THAT DOESN’T HAVE THE SAME BLACK AND WHITE PATTERN AS A FULLY GROWN PENGUIN.  

D:  ONCE EVERY YEAR, PENGUINS UNDERGO SOMETHING CALLED A CATASTROPHIC MOLT.  DURING THIS PROCESS, A PENGUIN WILL LOSE ALL OF IT’S FEATHERS.  IT TAKES ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS FOR THE PROCESS TO BE COMPLETE AND FOR THE FEATHERS TO GROW BACK.  DURING THIS TIME, A PENGUIN DOESN’T SWIM, BECAUSE IT DOESN’T HAVE THE FEATHERS NEEDED TO KEEP IT NICE AND WARM.  

O:  PENGUIN BODIES MAKE AN OIL THAT HELPS KEEP THEM WARM, HELPS THEM MOVE MORE SMOOTHLY IN THE WATER, AND EVEN HELPS MAKE THEIR BODIES WATERPROOF.  

D:  SOME PEOPLE MISTAKENLY THINK THAT PENGUINS ARE MAMMALS, BUT THEY ARE DEFINITELY BIRDS.  THEY DON’T HAVE HAIR OR FUR, BUT HAVE FEATHERS INSTEAD.  THEY ALSO HATCH FROM EGGS, UNLIKE MAMMALS.  MAMMALS FEED THEIR BABIES WITH MILK, AND PENGUINS DON’T DO THAT.  INTERESTINGLY, MALE PENGUINS DO MAKE A SUBSTANCE THAT IS CALELD CROP MILK, AND THEY USE THE CROP MILK TO FEED THEIR BABIES.  IT TURNS OUT THAT CROP MILK IS NOT REALLY MILK AT ALL.  

O:  IT’S THE TIME OF THE EPISODE TO TALK ABOUT POOP.  THAT’S RIGHT, LET’S LEARN A SUPER INTERESTING FACT ABOUT PENGUIN POOP.  PENGUINS EJECT POOP OUT, SO IT COMES OUT OF THEIR BODIES VERY QUICKLY, AND CAN BE EJECTED TO A DISTANCE OF ABOUT FOUR FEET AWAY.  THIS ACT EVEN HAS A NAME, WHICH IS FITTINGLY A “POOP BOMB”.  AS A GROUP OF PENGUINS MOVE AROUND, THEY LEAVE A TRAIL OF POOP BEHIND THEM THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE IDENTIFY WHERE THEY’VE BEEN.  SCIENTISTS ARE EVEN ABLE TO TRACK THEM FROM SPACE BY FOLLOWING THEIR POOP TRAILS.  

D:  PENGUINS HAVE LOTS OF FEATURES THAT HELP PROTECT THEMSELVES.  ONE OF THOSE FEATURES IS THEIR ABILITY TO CAMOUFLAGE.  PENGUINS HAVE BLACK FEATHERS ON THEIR BACK, AND WHITE FEATHERS IN FRONT.  SO, IF A PREDATOR LOOKS UP FROM THE WATER, THEY WILL HAVE TROUBLE SPOTTING A PENGUIN, BECAUSE A PENGUIN’S WHITE BELLY WILL BLEND IN WITH THE BRIGHT WATER SURFACE FROM UNDERNEATH.  

O:  PENGUINS ARE ALSO SUCH STRONG SWIMMERS, THAT THEY CAN EASILY OUTSWIM A LOT OF THEIR PREDATORS.  THEY CAN DO SOMETHING ELSE THAT’S REALLY NEAT TO ESCAPE FROM PREDATORS.  WHEN THEY ARE CLOSE TO LAND, THEY CAN JUMP HIGH OUT OF THE WATER, ABOUT EIGHT FEET HIGH, BEFORE LANDING BACK ON LAND.  

D:  THE BEST THING PENGUINS DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES IS TO SPEND TIME IN LARGE GROUPS.  PENGUINS CAN OFTEN BE FOUND IN MASSIVE GROUPS, WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER PENGUINS.  IT IS MUCH LESS LIKELY FOR A PREDATOR TO ATTACK PENGUINS IN A LARGE GROUP, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE OUTNUMBERED.  OLIVIA, SINCE PENGUINS SPEND SO MUCH TIME IN LARGE GROUPS, IT’S HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT A GROUP OF PENGUINS IS CALLED.  WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NAMES FOR A GROUP OF PENGUINS?

O:  ON LAND, A GROUP OF PENGUINS IS MOST OFTEN CALLED A WADDLE, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE BY THE WAY.  LESS COMMONLY, A GROUP OF PENGUINS ON LAND CAN ALSO BE CALLED A COLONY OR A ROOKERY.  IT TURNS OUT THAT A GROUP OF PENGUINS FLOATING IN THE OCEAN HAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NAME.  IN THE WATER, A GROUP OF PENGUINS IS CALLED A RAFT, AND THAT’S AWESOME.  

D:  A LARGE GROUP OF PENGUINS CAN LOOK TOTALLY CHAOTIC, AND PENGUINS ARE ALSO PRETTY NOISY.  PENGUINS ARE SURPRISINGLY GOOD AT RECOGNIZING OTHER PENGUINS, AND FINDING THEIR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS IN A BIG GROUP, AND THEY USE THEIR UNIQUE SOUNDS AND VOCALIZATIONS TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES.

WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  247 - PENGUINS.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB FINN, LINUS, COLE, ARI, MARLOW AND FRANKIE FOR THE SUPER ADORABLE EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION.  PENGUINS ARE FASCINATING.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE TO THANK.  

O:  WE WANT TO THANK CHARLIE FROM EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, FOR THE FIVE STAR REVIEW.

D:  IT SAYS “I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST!  IT IS VERY EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIVE.  OLIVIA AND JACOB GET CURIOUS ABOUT SO MANY DIFFERENT FUN TOPICS.  I LIKE TO LISTEN TO IT AT BEDTIME, NORMALLY 2 EPISODES WHILE I GO TO SLEEP.  STAY CURIOUS!”

O:  WE ABSOLUTELY ADORE YOU, CHARLIE.  THAT REVIEW MEANS SO MUCH TO US.  IF YOU LISTEN TO 2 EPISODES EVERY NIGHT, IT WOULD TAKE OVER FOUR MONTHS TO GET THROUGH ALL OF OUR EPISODES. WE ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, SHAAN AND ARMAAN J.  

D:  OUR PATREON SUPPORTERS, LIKE SHAAN AND ARMAAN, GET EXTRA CURIOUS KID PODCAST CONTENT.  THEY KNOW WHAT WE ARE GOING TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT MONTHS FROM NOW, AND THEY ALSO GET ACCESS TO SPECIAL MONTHLY CURRENT EVENTS EPISODES.  THANK YOU, SHAAN AND ARMAAN.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT COWBOYS FOR LISTENERS IN NORTH CAROLINA AND AN UNKNOWN LOCATION SOMEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT WE CAN’T IDENTIFY BECAUSE THE REQUEST WAS MADE IN A FANTASTIC FIVE STAR REVIEW.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.