How do penguins keep cool in hot places?
Penguins that nest on hot, sandy beaches often need to cool off. They’ll stand in the shade, or open their mouths to pant like a dog. Some species have special skin patches that help them cool off. Bare skin around a blackfooted penguin’s eyes and feet turns pink as the penguin pumps extra blood there to lose heat. All penguins use their black and white colors to adjust their body temperature on land. If they’re hot, they turn their white bellies to the sun to reflect its heat. If they’re cold, they turn their black backs to the sun to soak up its warmth. Q: Where did the name “penguin” come from? A: It’s not clear where the name “penguin” came from. It might be from the Latin word “pingua,” meaning “fat.” Penguins certainly are fat birdstheir thick layer of blubber was well known to hungry sailors who hunted penguins in past centuries. We do know that European sailors first applied the name “penguin” to plump seabirds of the Northern Hemispherebirds known today as puffins and auks. Th
