Aptenodytes – The great penguins
The genus of royal penguins
This genus is basal to all living penguins and consists of the two extant monotypic species, Emperor and King penguins, and an extinct Ridgen’s penguin species.
Their colorful plumage, outstanding size, and long slender bill are their characteristics. They are the deepest divers among penguins. They lay a single egg and build no nest; instead, they use brood pouches with footwork to raise young. Molt in king penguins is pre-nuptial & in emperor penguins, it is post-nuptial. The breeding biology of these two species is nonidentical but extreme. They need a temperature of approximately 0°C (32°F) or below and have a circumpolar distribution in the sub-Antarctic and the high-Antarctic.
Species in this genus
Emperor penguin
Aptly named the biggest of the Penguin species & Olympic diver of the bird world