MALE king penguins have a unique way of putting the digestive process in their stomachs on hold. By producing less stomach acid and all but immobilising their guts, the birds can preserve fish in their bellies for up to three weeks to provide an emergency meal for hatching chicks.
Males take the last turn in incubating their eggs. Foraging females usually return to feed the chicks, but are often delayed, leaving the task to males who may have eaten their last meal weeks earlier. Yvon Le Mahon and his team at the National Centre for Scientific Research in Strasbourg, France,…
