Chinstrap penguins, those distinctive black-and-white birds of Antarctica, have a unique sleep pattern. While humans might find it torturous, these penguins take **over 10,000 brief naps each day, lasting just four seconds at a time. Why? It’s all about protecting their offspring.
During nesting season, male chinstrap penguins incubate their eggs while their partners go on long foraging trips. To safeguard their eggs from predators like seabirds, the males must remain vigilant. Researchers discovered that these penguins manage to accumulate around 11 hours of sleep per day, even though it’s not continuous.
Their highly fragmented sleep pattern allows them to keep watch over their nests, ensuring the safety of their precious eggs and chicks. While humans couldn’t handle such sleep cycles, penguins seem to thrive on this constant state between wakefulness and sleep.
Source: newscientist.com; scientificamerican.com; theguardian.com; sbs.com.au;
Image Source: shutterstock.com
