Penguins choose rocks over rings for love.

• Male penguins offer smooth stones to females.
• Penguins are flightless sea birds, mostly Southern Hemisphere.
• Emperor penguin fathers incubate eggs on feet.

Did you know that male penguins often search for the smoothest stone to give to a female as a “proposal gift” to build their nest? Yes, that's true. As

per reports, some penguin species, especially Adélie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguins, use pebbles as part of their courtship ritual. In this, a male penguin carefully searches for the smoothest and shiniest stone he can find and then presents it to a female as a form of proposal. Penguins are a group of flightless, semi-aquatic, sea birds which live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, lives at, and slightly north of, the equator. These cute creatures are some of the most adorable species of birds that exist amongst us. Let's see if you know the basics about these sea birds: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Which of these is the largest species of penguin?
   
   A) King Penguin
   
   B) Emperor Penguin
   
   C) Gentoo Penguin
   
   D) Little Blue Penguin
2. Penguins are mainly found in which region?
   
   A) Arctic
   
   B) Africa
   
   C) Antarctica and Southern Hemisphere
   
   D) Asia
3. What do penguins primarily eat?
   
   A) Fruits
   
   B) Insects
   
   C) Fish and krill
   
   D) Seeds
4. Which penguin species is known for living in warmer climates like the Galápagos Islands?
   
   A) Chinstrap Penguin
   
   B) Rockhopper Penguin
   
   C) Galápagos Penguin
   
   D) Macaroni Penguin
5. Why can’t penguins fly?
   
   A) They are too heavy
   
   B) Their wings evolved into flippers
   
   C) They are afraid of heights
   
   D) They never developed wings

True or False

1. Penguins can drink seawater.
2. All penguins live only in Antarctica.
3. Penguins use their wings to swim underwater.
4. Emperor penguin fathers incubate eggs on their feet.
5. Penguins are mammals.

Short Answer

1. Name one predator of penguins.
2. How do penguins stay warm in freezing temperatures?
3. What is a group of penguins called?
4. How long can emperor penguins hold their breath underwater?
5. Why do penguins waddle when they walk?

Answer Key

MCQs:

1. B
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. B

True/False:

6. True

7. False

8. True

9. True

10. False (They are birds)

Short Answers (sample):

11. Leopard seal / killer whale / shark

12. Thick fat layer (blubber) and dense feathers

13. A colony or rookery

14. About 20 minutes

15. Because of short legs and body structure

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