Penguins live around the South Pole. They usually spend all their waking hours in the water. Only during the egg-laying and mating periods do penguins actually live on land. During the egg-laying period, the female penguin lays usually one egg. This egg is kept in a flap of skin, much like a pocket, located near the top of the penguin’s feet. The male and female penguins take turns caring for the egg. After the baby penguin is hatched, its mother takes care of it until it is able to walk. Then it joins the other babies, and the whole group is watched by a few adults. Penguins commonly are black with black heads and white breasts. Large penguins often stand about 3 feet in height. Since a penguin’s legs are placed far back, it is able to maintain a very erect posture. It is amusing to watch penguins and to see how much the upright birds resemble humans in dress suits walking in a comical fashion.
