Penguin feet don’t freeze on the ice

Penguins, like many other animals around the world, have developed adaptations to prevent excessive heat loss and maintain a constant body temperature. Since penguin feet cannot be covered in fat or feathers like their bodies can, they collectively form a big surface area exposed to the cold, making it difficult for them to maintain the ideal body temperature of 40°C. However, they require their feet so that they can swim and navigate themselves on the frozen surface without slipping.

Numerous penguin species have evolved behaviors that allow them to maintain a comfortable body temperature. As an illustration, Emperor Penguins bend down so that their bellies and feathers conceal their legs. They also rock back and forth onto their heels to elevate their feet off the ice, which shortens the amount of time that their feet are in touch with the ground.

However, this is not the only method penguins stay warm. Additionally, they have extraordinary morphological characteristics that have developed to properly suit their habitat. Inside those legs and feet, two secret processes are operating. First, by adjusting the diameter of the arterial arteries that feed blood, a penguin may regulate the rate of blood flow to its feet. Blood flow is decreased in cold weather to conserve heat. To prevent heat loss and frostbite, penguins will maintain their feet one or two degrees above freezing throughout the winter. The majority of a penguin's body is warm and waterproof because of their fat and feathers, yet on warm days, they are susceptible to overheating. Penguins use their beaks and their feet to allow heat escape to remain cool.