What is penguin blubber?

Answer 1

Penguins do not actually have blubber - blubber is vascularized fat which is characteristic of cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians. Penguins do have a thick layer of fat which does help to keep them warm, but their main source of warmth is their feathers and down. From http://www.penguinscience.com/education/ask_a_researcher.php : 1. How do penguins feathers work to keep them warm? Adélie Penguins have about 100 feathers per square inch, which is a density that is far higher than in other birds. Their feathers are short, cup-shaped and overlap closely to make a waterproof covering for the body. The base of the feather has downy tufts that trap the warm air near the penguin's skin. Adélie Penguins also have a layer of down growing beneath the contour feathers, as well as a thick layer of fat under their skin that further helps to insolate their bodies from the cold. and 8. Do they like the cold air?Penguins have many adaptations to keep them warm. When the temperature gets a few degrees above freezing they must work to lose heat by panting and fluffing their feathers. *****Please help our schools by pointing this out to our teachers! My niece came home with a study guide for an upcoming test that stated "Penguins have blubber". Although this is a simple mistake and easy to confuse, it's always better to teach and have our children grow up learning the truth!*****