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Their own, natural skin oils make their feathers waterproof, keep them neat and clean and help in their buoyance. This fact is the origin of the phrase "like water off a duck's back". Literally, water does not stay on their skin, that might be why penguins can go through water so fast, their feathers might make them more aerodynamic.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoThe oil gets on their feathers and they get it in their beaks when they preen. The penguins eggs will contain traces of oil in them too which can kill the embryo or cause it to be deformed.
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Do penguins have oil on their tails?
yes they do. if they don't rub it on their body they will freeze Yes Penguins have oil on threre tails they rub it on them
What animal's feathers are coated in special oil?
A penguins...
Why did early explorers hunt penguins?
for their oil, etc.
Where do you get jetpak oil when the scared penguins are there on club peguin?
the lighthouse
Have humans ever hunted penguins for meat?
A long time go Penguins were hunted for a source of food and oil. But I don't think they are hunted anymore.
How can adelie penguins becoming endangered effect earth?
By making a law not to spill oil.
What keeps penguins waterproof?
they have this oil inside their body that they put on their feathers. every day
Which of these items was used to protect penguins after a 2000 oil spill in Australia?
Wool Sweaters
What special features do penguins have to help them swim underwater?
penguins have strong flippers and their feathers have a certain kind of 'oil' ok it so they could 'glide' through water.
How does oil spill affect seabird?
An effect of oil spills on penguins is that their feathers lose much of their ability to insulate the body, resulting in hypothermia. (It gets mighty cold where penguins live!) The birds may even swallow the oil when trying to clean their feathers that could lead to poisoning. Fortunately for penguins, most of them live in areas that have a low likelihood of having oil spills. There is little shipping traveling that far south and no significant oil drilling.
Why are emperor penguins in danger of extiction?
Penguins have been endangered for a long time for many reasons. Some reasons make complete sense, for instance, man-made pollution destroying food sources. Others are surprising, such as deforestation. But there are also a lot of ways people are trying to prevent penguins from becoming extinct. Oil spills are probably the biggest problems for penguins. The oil gets on their feathers and they get it in their beaks when they preen. Since they don't fly and must surface often to breathe, penguins are unable to avoid being coated if oil is on the surface of the water. Also their eggs will contain traces of oil in them too. This is a problem because it either kills the embryo inside or the oil deforms the developing chick. Penguins cannot see the oil coming and neither can most humans. On July 23, 2000, the oil tanker "The Treasure" sank, leaving a huge mass of oil. The company SANCCOB, a rehabilitation organization, immediately started helping the penguins. Still, almost 40% of the African Penguin population was oiled.Along the coast of Argentina, Magellanic penguins are killed, not by oil accidents, but by the routine operations of large oil tankers. Empty tankers must fill their tanks with water for (to act as weight) purposes. Then, within about two miles before filling with oil, the oily water must be discharged -- directly into the ocean.
Where does the oil that is made into gas for the Arco gas stations come from?
It comes from the ground in antarctica from seals or penguins that die.
