QUESTION:
Do the penguins drink water, or do they get water 
from what they eat?
        
        From Taylor L.
        Mrs. Garvins' Class
        Mauldin, SC


ANSWER from Donna Patterson, Resercher, Dr. Fraser's Team
            Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Fri, 21 Mar 1997 15:17:29 -0500

Hello Taylor,

Yes, penguins do drink water and they will also eat snow from 
snowbanks or from around their nests after a storm.  Permanent 
snowbanks on  islands serve as an important source of fresh 
water, especially when the birds are molting and cannot leave land to 
feed.  They will also drink from small meltwater streams or puddles.
During their foraging trips, penguins probably take in salt water while 
feeding;  their kidneys are adapted to extract the excess salt and excrete 
a concentrated "brine" through their nasal passages. Chicks that are not 
yet independent only receive the food that an adult brings it from the 
seas, so nearly all of their water comes from this food.  Occasionally, 
we have seen Adelie penguin chicks catching snowflakes during a storm, 
but this may be more for entertainment than to satisfy their thirst!

Donna Patterson