What Is a Penguin's Habitat?


Quick Answer

Penguin habitats are always close to ocean waters, though some live in warmer climates and some in colder ones. Penguins need to live close to water since they spend three quarters of their time there. They also hunt for squid, krill, fish and crustaceans, which are all in the water.

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What Is a Penguin's Habitat?
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Full Answer

Penguins mainly live close to colder currents of water since these currents push a lot of the penguin’s main sources of food closer to the surface. This makes it easier for penguins to then prey on them. Penguin habitats are found especially in areas that have these currents such as South America, Australia, New Zealand and other coastal areas.

Penguin bodies are adapted specifically for living in the water. They have feathers that are streamlined for aquatic movement. These feathers often help form seals that keep the cold water from touching the main parts of their bodies. This is why many penguins live in colder areas like Antarctic because their bodies are good at handling the cold. Another reason for this is that warmer areas often make it harder to survive since penguins can overheat and die if it’s too hot because they do not have many adaptations for dealing with heat.

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