Why don't penguins get frost bite in their feet?

Answer 1

It's a mixture of the above answers: the penguin does control the flow of blood to the feet, by varying the diameter of the vessels carrying blood into the feet. When it is cold they reduce the flow (this means less blood to heat up when on its way back into the body). The second method of control is by way of the countercurrent heat exchangers at the top of the penguin's legs. The blood vessels break into many smaller vessels that are very close to similar small vessels coming back up into the body. All the heat flows from the warm blood into the cold, meaning little warmth is carried down into the feet and lost to the environment, keeping the heat in the penguin! The feet are a degree or two above freezing, which is just above what they would get frostbite at, but still minimises heat loss.

Answer 2

Penguins are able to control the flow of blood to their feet. In cold weather the flow is reduced and the temperature of the feet is held just a degree or two above freezing to prevent frost bite and reduce heat loss.

Answer 3

Penguins do not reduce the blood flow to their feet! Think about it...less blood flow [i.e. heat] would be more likely to give them frostbite. These birds have something in common with other animals who have appendages that are not insulated well yet are exposed. It is called a countercurrent heat exchange, which reduces heat loss to the surrounding environment. Through conduction and convection, cool blood that is returning to the body is heated by incoming blood [basically the veins and arteries are on top of each other]. A good question that deserved a better answer...

Answer 4

Evolution

Answer 5

fatty skin on the feet and ankles ,thick cushions on their soals and a lot of veins that have warm blood

Answer 6

Please check out previous questions before recycling old ones then only if you don't find a satisfactory answers ask your question and say why you are asking it although it has appeared mmany times before