why do penguins have to live in Antarctica?

Question

I just saw this movie "March of Penguins" and it was sad. Their survival is so hardly earned. They almost freeze to death each year or go without any food for over 4 months and starve to death. Why do they suffer like this? Can't they survive in a place somewhere warner? but still with sea or ocean? I know they've been living like that for a long time, but to me they looked like they were suffering horribly. Especially the young baby penguins. I'm just curious. Scientific or documentary answers are requested only. No guesses please?

Answer 1

Adaptation on a safer habitat with less predator and lesser competition for survival are the main reasons why penguins live mainly in Antarctica.

It's true that penguins mostly live in Antarctica, but they also live in many countries such as New Zealand,Tasmania and Galapagos Islands located on the equator near South America.

Early penguin fossils were found in Arctics, in PERU, ARGENTINA, and even in South Africa.Those fossils proved that penguins had existed in many places million of years ago. That would be the period when the world climate was different from what we have now.

There were evidences of PREDATION of penguins in temperate areas along the Arctic. There was some findings that in early history the GIGANTIC PENGUINS had disappeared by the end of the Paleogene which date coincides with the spread of the fish-eating toothed whales.

Penguins GENERALLY live near nutrient rich, cold water currents that provide an abundant supply of food. Penguins spend 75% of their time in the water, and they get their food from the water. To suit with that, Antarctic was the suitable place found by early penguins which became as their natural habitat. For the FLIGHTLESS and DEFENSELESS penguins,that place was safer as there are less predators and competitors. The place is best suited for easier locomotion and provided their best survival needs. Breeding is also enhanced and protected by such environment. There could be too many predators and competitors in the northern hemisphere or other places and there could be no environment that is inviting to their needs in other particular places.

With the global climate shift following the ice age, Antarctic remained the same as they are now. So to say, from that point in history penguins got being stranded in there and they continued to evolve in that environment. Different stages of evolution had made dramatic changes of their natural adaptation to such FREEZING environment.

It is true that it temperate zones could had been better for penguins to live however just as with any living creature, SURVIVAL needs is always on top of priority more than anything else. That makes any animal unable to live just anywhere. Animals live in the environment that SUITS THEM BEST. For the penguins, that place is ANTARCTICA.

If penguins hadn't been confined in Antarctica since the beginning, the closest possibility is that they had become EXTINCT long time ago. What do you think?

Answer 2

Where Do Penguins Live

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
why do penguins have to live in Antarctica?
I just saw this movie "March of Penguins" and it was sad. Their survival is so hardly earned. They almost freeze to death each year or go without any food for over 4 months and starve to death. Why do they suffer like this? Can't they survive in a place somewhere warner? but still...

Answer 4

Wow, a lot of poor answers here.

The short answer is competition.

It's because they'll be out-competed elsewhere. So while they can survive in the warmer physical environment, they can't compete against all the other animals in those warmer areas. In the Antarctic, Emperor Penguins don't have to compete against many other animals, since other animals would be poorly adapted to the Antarctic environment.

That's why we have so much diversity in the world!

It's the same with other animals and plants that are prominent in "harsh" environments.

Answer 5

They have evolved to live in the freezing cold. Some species do live in warmer places though.

That's nature though. Males incubate the eggs for a few months with nothing to eat, and when the females return to take over watching the hatchling, the males walk to the ocean to go get a meal. They are able to go long periods of time without food, but sometimes it is just too long.

One way for people to help save the penguins and their habitat is to work on preventing global warming. The polar caps are melting, resulting loss of habitat for polar inhabitants. This is a big problem for polar bears in the Artic as well.

Answer 6

There's a bunch of penguins that live at the Hilton in Honolulu.

If you're so worried about penguins why don't you adopt a few, or better yet, start a penguin resort.

Answer 7

Well, some penguins live as far north as Brazil. There are also penguins that live int he Galapagos Islands. They also live in Chili.

Answer 8

I can't provide any scientific evidence (I'm sure that there is some out there, but it's pretty much common sense), but it's because penguins are animals. They don't think about how their life sucks, and they should swim up to Brazil. In fact, they don't think at all. It's pretty much all instinct with them.

Answer 9

The Penguins have adapted to thier surroundings, and the indurable animals are the ones that have to die. It's just the way life is. The penguins don't feel sorry for themselves, they just live on their lives. (not to sound hard on them)

Answer 10

because of the good insulation properties of their feathers and down,they would overheat in more tropical climates.
there are penguins in south africa but only in areas where cold sea water currants are close to shore