2006-11-11 07:16:22 · 16 answers · asked by john f 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Penguins have extremely tough feet to start with for walking across rocky beaches. They also have what is known as a counter current heat exchange system. The feet dont have any muscles in them, or very few, but they do have a lot of tendons so they can still move them. Not having the muscles there mean that they feet dont have to stay as warm as the rest of the body, so they will be cooler than the rest of the penguin. The counter current system means that warm blood in the veins coming from the body to the feet passes really close to the vessels carrying colder blood from the feet. As they pass close to each other, the heat from the warm blood gets transferred to the cooler blood warming that blood and cooling the warm blood so not that much heat is lost thorugh the feet, even though they are touching ice and snow all the time. This also means that the colder blood doesnt shock the body and with less of a gradient betweent he feet and the environment, the heat is lost slower than if the difference between the foot temp and the ice was greater. All of this keeps the feet cooler but not freezing. What also helps is the tough scaley feet that i mentioned earlier as well as the ability to cover the feet with essentially belly fat rolls when not walking and penguins reduce the amount of surface area in contact with the cold area by standing on their toes or rolling back onto their heels. All these things help penguins maintain a much warmer body temperature than their surroundings.
As a side note, the feet are also the penguins way of staying cool. Since they rest of the body is so well insulated, they can actually overheat and the feet is where the excess heat is lost, also though a counter current system.
2006-11-11 07:37:23 · answer #1 · answered by cero143_326 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The vast majority of penguins don't have this problem. Of the 18 species of penguin, only 2 live on ice. There are penguins on the beaches of South Africa, and even a species that lives on the Equator.
2006-11-12 07:14:03 · answer #2 · answered by Tahmid D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The vast majority of penguins don't have this problem. Of the 18 species of penguin, only 2 live on ice. There are penguins on the beaches of South Africa, and even a species that lives on the Equator.
2006-11-11 08:03:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were slippers,
unless you are talking about the penguin chocolate bars, in which case they do freeze, my fridge broke and froze all my food, my penguin bars included!
2006-11-11 07:46:43 · answer #4 · answered by izzlebums 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Momomo is correct, they wear penguin feet colored socks.
2006-11-11 07:19:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If they lived in a desert they would get sand stuck between their toes.
2006-11-11 10:27:43 · answer #6 · answered by Perseus 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
2016-11-11 00:17:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because of their anathomical status.it is kinda like an ant that fall down from 5 meters.u know they dont die :)
2006-11-11 07:19:27 · answer #8 · answered by Frollo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2006-11-11 07:19:26 · answer #9 · answered by Liggy Lee 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cos their wrappers are well insulated.
2006-11-11 07:20:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋