2006-10-09 00:43:52 · 9 answers · asked by itisnotit 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Antarctic birds and mammals - penguins, whales and seals - are warm blooded animals and they maintain similar internal body temperatures similar to warm blooded animals in any other climate zone - that is about 35-42�C (95-107�F). They have to keep high body temperatures to remain active. Tropical animals with more variable body temperatures such as reptiles and amphibians can warm up by basking in the sun if they cool down - and they never cool down that much. A large (bigger than a small insect) Antarctic animal will never get enough energy from the surroundings to become active if it allows itself to cool (there are exceptions at the other end of the size scale amongst very small insects and mites and in the fish) so they have to stay warm to be active.
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The system that stops a penguin's foot from freezing is very elaborate and sophisticated and employs two mechanisms.
The first one allows the penguin to control the rate of blood flowing to its feet by varying the diameter of arterial vessels supplying the blood. In cold conditions the flow is reduced, when it is warm the flow increases.
The second mechanism takes the form of 'counter current heat exchangers' at the top of the legs. The arteries, which supply warm blood and oxygen to the penguin's feet break up into many small vessels which are closely linked to similar numbers of venous vessels bringing cold blood back from the feet. So, when heat is lost from the arterial vessels, the venous vessels running in the opposite direction pick it up and carry it back through the body, rather than out through the feet. This means that in the very remote regions of the skin, cells get oxygen but heat isn't lost through this skin.
2006-10-12 11:48:32 · answer #1 · answered by ^crash_&_burn^ 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why Dont Penguins Feet Freeze
2016-12-17 15:49:50 · answer #2 · answered by ditchfield 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Penguins feet are never allowed to get below freezing point, blood flow is finely adjusted so that they are kept just above. When it gets very cold, the feet are covered by the feathers and fat layer of the body so they are not exposed to cooling winds. So while a man standing barefoot on ice would quickly get frostbitten, penguins can do so all their lives with no damage at all.
You see that movie--March of the Penguins? Really cool. Rent the DVD.
2006-10-09 00:52:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Go read the book!! (By the way its because their arteries constrict near the top of their legs so the temperature of their feet never drops below 2 degrees).
2006-10-09 00:54:20 · answer #4 · answered by sonj75 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they have a special coting on them protecting them from the cold
2006-10-09 00:48:09 · answer #5 · answered by Tanya V 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Cos there made of wood
2006-10-09 00:48:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because they wear there soaks
2006-10-09 01:07:49 · answer #7 · answered by Mea 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
b/c they are use to the cold weather and it doesnt afect them
2006-10-09 01:27:18 · answer #8 · answered by LACEY 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the way i see it, they are frozen already!
2006-10-09 01:09:57 · answer #9 · answered by evanescfan 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋