Quiz: Which Penguin Species Are You?
How will you celebrate National Penguin Awareness Day on January 20? Whether or not you achieve your dream of trekking to see penguins or hosting a perfect penguin-themed bash, you can still have a festive (although flightless) day. To honor our feathered friends, we've picked five species — the Emperor Penguins, Galápagos Penguins, Adelie Penguins, Little Penguins, and Snares Penguins — to highlight. Take our quiz to find out your penguin personality!
Quiz: Which Penguin Species Are You?
1. What is your outfit of choice?
A) You can wear anything, you’ll always look flawless
B) A swimsuit, sandals, and sunshine!
C) Black tie attire — either a classic tux or ball gown
D) Anything, as long as it’s blue!
E) Something that shows off your fabulous ‘do
2. If you were to build a house, what would you use?
A) Ice, ice, baby!
D) You’d minimize the effort by finding a nice cave
E) Wood and pebbles
3. Which of the following best describes your favorite food from the ocean?
A) Fish and squid
D) Anchovies and squid
E) Krill and fish
4. How do you prefer to get your exercise?
A) Diving deep into the ocean
B) Float around in the waters all day
C) You’re happy walking!
D) Swimming and searching the ocean
E) Embarking on long trips for food (usually past the refrigerator)
5. Where would you rather live?
A) A wondrous peninsula of ice
B) Somewhere tropical
C) The colder, the better!
D) Down under, mate
E) A small, tucked away island
6. How would your friends describe you, in one word?
A) Flawless (as your friend Beyoncé likes to call you)
If you answered mostly A's...You are the penguin of penguins: the Emperor Penguin. Emperors are the largest of all penguin species and live in Antarctica. They trek up to 75 miles across ice to reach breeding colonies during the winter.
If you answered mostly B's...You are the tropical Galápagos Penguin. These equator-friendly penguins can be distinguished by their large beak and white line around their face. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Galápagos Penguins are endangered.
If you answered mostly C's...Meet your new spirit animal: the Adelie Penguin. Like the Emperor, Adelies live in Antarctica, but they breed the furthest south of all penguin species. Mature birds have a distinct white eye ring, and their long tails elevate the penguin tuxedo to a new level of class.
If you answered mostly D's...You cutie pie, you! You're a Little Penguin, also known as the Little Blue, Blue, and Fairy Penguin. Littles are the smallest penguin species and can be found in Australia and New Zealand. Unlike the rest of its flightless friends, the Little Penguin is nocturnal, so it typically spends its time at sea between dusk and dawn.
If you answered mostly E's...Trendsetter alert! You are the Snares Penguin, and you make all the other penguins jealous with your trademark yellow crest. Snares Penguins are endemic to the Snares Islands, a small group of subantarctic islands near New Zealand. After introduced mammals failed to establish a presence here, these islands have come to be one of the most pristine parts of New Zealand.
Now that you've discovered the real you, take a moment to relax with some of these feathery beings. Toboggan over to Explore.org's live Magellanic Penguin cam or Animal Planet's camera following Rockhopper and African Penguins and let them brighten your day. Flipper-five!
--photo by istockphoto/flammulated
Jessica Zischke is an editorial intern at Sierra. She is currently studying environmental studies at Dartmouth College, where she also works as a staff writer for The Dartmouth newspaper.