Take a look into the Polar World exhibit at the
Montreal Biodome in Montreal, Quebec. This picture was made about a minute before you came to this page. Hit "Refresh Image" to see an updated picture.
Polar World is divided into Arctic and Antarctic sections. The Antarctic habitat is home to 46 birds from four different species of penguins: King, Macaroni, Gentoo, and Rockhopper. Like all penguins, these four species are naturally found only south of t
he equator.
This penguin habitat is designed to resemble the shore of a volcanic island lying between the southern tip of South America and the Antarctic peninsula, a region inhabited by many penguins. The temperature is kept between 35 and 41 degrees F (that's 2-5 d
egrees C). Visitors are protected from the cold by a glass corridor. Snow prevents the penguins from a sickness called Bumblefoot, an inflammation of the pads on their feet.
The lighting in the habitat duplicates the amount of daylight in Antarctica. During the Antarctic summer, the lights are on for nearly 20 hours a day. When it's winter in Antarctica, the lights come on for only about six hours a day.
Penguin Fact: A penguin's overlapping feathers are practically waterproof and windproof and create an insulating layer of air underneath.
