Why don't penguins always slide on their bellies?

Answer 1

the same reason you don't their legs are at the bottom The reason is that ... The frozen sea is very hard, bumpy and difficult to slide on so the penguins do not have the smooth easy surface you might imagine. Also the bumpy surface of the ice after a while will probably hurt their bellies. The reason is that ... The frozen sea is very hard, bumpy and difficult to slide on so the penguins do not have the smooth easy surface you might imagine. Also the bumpy surface of the ice after a while will probably hurt their bellies.

Answer 2

Penguins don't always slide on their bellies because it requires a flat, icy surface for them to slide efficiently. In some environments, the terrain may not be suitable for sliding, so penguins may have to walk or waddle instead. Additionally, sliding on their bellies can be energetically costly for penguins, so they reserve it for situations where it is most advantageous.