nbsp   No. Penguins didn't evolve in the northern hemsiphere, and with the exception of the Galapagos penguin, no species of penguin naturally inhabits any land north of the equator. Galapagos penguins sometimes feed and stray slighly north of the equator. No. It was published in an April Fool's edition of Discovery Magazine. No land mammals are indiginous to Antarctica. How silly!

All penguins come from the Southern Hemisphere and they live in places ranging from the Galapagos Islands to the coast of Antarctica.

The Arctic Circle is an imaginary line at latitude at 66° 32~33' North (depending on the earth's wobble) defined by the northernmost point where you can still see the sun on winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, December 21.

Penguins are long-lived. Emperor penguins have been recorded living up to 50 years but generally most species can live 10-20 years.

In the strictest sense, the Arctic is all of the Earth north of the Arctic Circle, which is located at 66 degrees, 32 minutes North Latitude. However, there are other definitions to suit specific scientific or political interests. For instance, the U.S. Congress has decreed that all of the Bering Sea, which extends southward to about 53 degrees North Latitude, is part of the Arctic for internal U.S. planning and budgeting purposes.

The number and variety of animals living near the poles changes dramatically with the seasons. Only a few hardy animals, such as the musk ox, polar bears, Arctic hares, wolves, and the Arctic fox manage to stay in polar regions all year round. However, during the brief, light-filled months of summer, thousands of migratory birds and mammals seek out the rich feeding grounds, plentiful breeding sites, and relatively safe refuge of the high Arctic.

We are not aware of any tornadoes occurring in the Arctic Circle. Tornadoes need moisture and warm air to form, which is unusual at that lattitude. Plus tornadoes or their evidence have to be observed by someone, and the Arctic Circle has few residents!

Penguins sleep on land and while floating at sea. On land they can sleep lying down or standing up sometimes with their head tucked below on wing. Check out the Behaviors Page for more information.

Penguins have good vision both above and below the water. This is due to their ability to alter the shape of the lens of the eye to accommodate both environments. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.

Of the 17 species of penguins in the world 3 species are endangered and 9 others are threatened. A major threat to penguins are human interference and particularly oil spils (see inset photo). Check out the individual world penguins species pages on this site for more information.

Yes, a penguin's leg is composed of a short femur, knee, tibia and fibula. The upper leg bones are not visible as they are covered in feathers giving penguins a very short legged appearance. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.

No. A penguin's beak has sharp edges and is hooked to trap wriggling fish. The tongue and roof of the beak is lined with flexible, downward pointing spines which hold on to their slippery food. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.

Yes. The ears are located on the sides of the head in the same location as ours but cannot be seen as the ears are covered by the penguins dense feathers. A penguins ear has no lobes it is just a simple hole.

Penguins have a streamlined body for life at sea with their legs placed at the rear of their bodies. On land this gives the penguin an upright stance and their characteristic waddle. Check out the Anatomy Page for more information.

It appears that some species do migrate from their breeding colonies to locations of abundant food supply following the breeding season.Both Rockhopper and Magellanic penguins migrate.

Usually mates will greet each other in several ways such as the ecstatic display, bowing and quivering. The mutual ecstatic display involves the pair facing each other and bowing and then pointing their bills to the sky and braying or trumpeting together. Check out the Behaviors Page for more information.

A.The penguins at the Aquarium eat fish. Some of the types of fish they eat are capelin, anchovy, herring, smelt and sardines.

The penguins are not pets. We do however handle the penguins during veterinary exams and for other husbandry needs.

Yes. During the breeding season penguins will aggressively defend their nesting sites and even during the off season each bird can usually be found in the same spot within the exhibit.

Our penguins are not pets. They have become accustomed to the staff people but are not tame and can be unpredictable.

If you would like to volunteer with the penguin department and are 18 or older you can apply with the volunteer office.

The Arctic environment is unique in many ways and offers the opportunity for a great many discoveries about how the physical and biologic environments function under the "extreme" conditions found in the Arctic. Several species of animals are unique to the Arctic (e.g., polar bear, walrus, musk ox) and many species of birds have their summer home there.

The Arctic is inhabited by several different groups of indigenous people, and also by relatively recent immigrants of mostly European background. In Alaska, for example, indigenous people account for about 70% or more of the total population in mainland areas bordering the Bering, Chukchi, or Beaufort Seas. In Russia, only 15% or fewer of the inhabitants along the north coast are indigenous people.

Many cultures and groups live in the lands surrounding the Arctic Ocean. Among these are the Eskimo (comprised of the Inuit, Inupiat, Yupik and several other groups), who range from Alaska to Canada and Greenland, the Saami (previously called the Lapps) of Scandinavia, the Nenets of Northwest Russia, the Sakha (Yakut) of Russia and the Chukchi of Siberia.

Distance from the school is only considered in the event of a tie for the final place in the Top 50, Circle A and Circle B criteria. In such circumstances, places will be allocated according to proximity to Nonsuch, with those living nearest gaining the highest priority. Distances are measured in a straight line between the home address and the front door of the school (and verified using a GIS computer system). (Refer to para 3.3 of the Nonsuch Admissions Policy)