this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 36 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Their round shape and their lil flappers and their pose is just perfect so adorable

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 42 points 3 months ago

They're predators, but they're the "I'm adapted to hunt in one environment but I hang out in another" kind of predator, so they're these amazing fish seeking torpedoes in the water, but they're these delightfully ridiculous footballs in dinner jackets waddling around on land. And they're licensed under the GPL which is always cool.

[–] Beehaw_Girl@beehaw.org 23 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Penguins are so smol?? I thought they were tall like at least maybe 3' or so. But they're less than our own knee height??

[–] sbeak@sopuli.xyz 34 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Depends on the species of penguin. There are some big ones as well as little guys! Also that penguin might be on the younger side, given that it seems pretty curious about the world.

I'm not a marine biologist though, so treat this with a grain of salt

[–] FishFace@piefed.social 10 points 3 months ago

Emperor penguins are big, like 4' iirc, but are the largest species. Most penguins are more like the size of an ordinary bird like a duck or a goose or whatever

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 months ago

They go from being the size and weight of a liter of yoghurt (the aptly named Little penguin) to as tall as a zebra and as heavy as a Rottweiler dog (Emperor penguins)

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Emperor penguins get up to 3' but those are the largest species, the others range in sizes but most aren't that big

[–] Beehaw_Girl@beehaw.org 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Viking_Hippie said penguins can be as tall as a zebra and weigh as much as a rottweiler. What is the truth?

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 1 points 3 months ago

No, those are the rare penguinosas, which is a misnomer as they are more closely related to the giant puffin

[–] dethedrus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 3 months ago

The kororā (little blue penguin) I saw in New Zealand at the most fantastic rehabilitation center at Christchurch airport.

All of the inhabitants are unable to survive in the wild and are being very well cared for. It was amazing.

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago

If seeing this doesn’t delight you, you’re a monster. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You’re a monster.

[–] Flower@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 months ago

Penguins just haven't been around humans enough to avoid them, like most mainland animals learned the hard way.

[–] M137@lemmy.today 5 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Oh no....

This could be a "those that don't know: :) vs those that know: :|" situation.

Penguins almost only leave their flock and go inland to die, as far as I'm aware it's not exactly known why.

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Probably just a random instinct that was reinforced by survival of the fittest (at group population levels) because it meant that group didn't contaminate their nests or water with the dead, which would also attract scavengers that might also try to prey on living penguins when there weren't any already dead handy.

Or maybe they go to get frozen so that when a future penguin solves the problem of death, they can go and unfreeze the frozen penguins and use that massive undead penguin army to conquer more southern islands.

[–] Leg@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 months ago

Because they know it's coming, and now's the best time to find out what's out there.

Unless proven otherwise I choose to believe that it was the same as with the penguin in the Werner Herzog documentary and the bird quickly returned to their flock moments later. (Herzog didn't show that though because a penguin heading towards death is more dramatic)

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Hello, I would like one fish combo please, hold the seal.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 months ago

That penguin is saying "Hey hoomans! Get off my lawn!"

[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Apex predator?

Adelie don't care.

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

But there's no such thing as land predators.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 months ago

What, humans? No, we are omnivores, occasional predators.

[–] anotherspinelessdem@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 months ago