2006-12-14 01:43:02 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Their feet are covered in thick, leathery skin so maybe it insulates their feet from the cold. Probably not as sensitive to the cold either. Don't know for sure.
2006-12-14 01:52:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Penguins lose a lot of heat through their flippers and feet, and they have a few clever strategies for dealing with the problem.
For one thing, when they have to they can stand with their feet tucked under their insulating feathers and body fat to keep them toasty, which is something you with your big brain and your fancy-schancy opposable thumbs and free will sure can't do.
Secondly, the muscles that control the flippers and feet are not in site,so to speak, but deep inside the penquins's warm body. They are connected to the flippers and feet by tendons that move things around, sort of like the strings on a puppet.
Last, the little capillaries that carry warm blood to the outer regions run very close to the capillaries toting cold blood back toward the heart. This gets that cold blood warmed up a bit before it hits the central part of the body. And the penquins are very good at regulating their blood flow to keep the temperture in their feet just above the freezing level.
Mike O'Hare wrote a book about the issue:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Dont-Penguins-Feet-Freeze/dp/1861978766/sr=11-1/qid=1166118995/ref=sr_11_1/026-1163157-3742806
2006-12-14 05:00:52 · answer #2 · answered by Jesus is my Savior 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They have a system of arteries that moves the blood around so that warm blood is pumped into the feet and the cold is pumped back into the body, but still the feet are only a couple of degrees above freezing.
2006-12-14 02:14:00 · answer #3 · answered by Loader2000 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
is quite cool realy (sorry bad pun!)
they put very warm blood into the feet...
the cold blood then gos back to the body
to stop this cooling the body tempreture down;
the warm blood coming from the body passes very close to the blood vessels holding the cold foot blood
warming it back up before it can cool the body down!
bit like a radiator
you could of corse buy the book "why dont penguins feet freeze"
see link!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Dont-Penguins-Feet-Freeze/dp/1861978766/sr=11-1/qid=1166108104/ref=sr_11_1/203-4863178-1632745
2006-12-14 01:56:24 · answer #4 · answered by jimmystraightjacket 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
similarly to many birds whose feet spend significant amounts of time in cold water (or snow) they have counter-current exchange down to their feet wherein as the blood goes down to their feet it passes the vein coming back up (like a u shape) and reheats this blood so that the blood in their feet is colder than the rest of their body but they don't lose energy trying to warm it up
2006-12-14 01:52:53 · answer #5 · answered by bubbles85 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How do you know? Did you ask them? I bet they complain sometimes and add to this the back, with all this zig zag in their walk their backs must hurt too. Guess they do not have chiropractors for penguins either.
2006-12-14 01:52:00 · answer #6 · answered by antiekmama 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they've got happy feet!
2006-12-14 01:46:21 · answer #7 · answered by Sir Sidney Snot 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they have a natural insulation layer of skin on their feet, so they dont get kold,, puengins have knees too.
2006-12-15 07:09:28 · answer #8 · answered by Nerd RockR 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're basically indecisive, they have Hamlet complex.
2006-12-14 01:51:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cos when they mate, its for life. LOL.
2006-12-18 01:18:57 · answer #10 · answered by Naughty but nice 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋