“People won’t stick with it,” says the lead researcher. “But penguins do.” During a nap, penguins can recover briefly, according to research published Thursday in the scientific journal Sciences.
Scientists have discovered that penguins on King George Island in Antarctica nap very briefly thousands of times a day. This allows them to monitor their nests almost continuously and protect their eggs and chicks from predators.
In chin-strap penguins, one parent sits in the nest for several days in a row, while the partner is away to feed. If they sleep longer, their eggs or young will become prey for other animals.
Using electroencephalogram (EEG) – a measurement of brain waves – and video images, the number of times the animals closed their eyes and fell into sleep was counted. For example, penguins have been shown to have short periods of sleep. At noon they slept a little deeper. At that time of day there is less chance of an attack.
