Jamie Shafer, age 10, of Huntsville, Ala., for his question:

DO PENGUINS LIVE ONLY AT THE SOUTH POLE?

The penguin is a most unusual bird that stands upright on short legs and walks with a very funny, clumsy waddle. These birds can't fly but they are good swimmers.

Penguins are found only in the southern half of the world. Several types live on the ice of the Antarctic. But the South Pole isn't only place you'll find the birds. They can be found farther north in areas touched by cold sea currents that originate in Antarctica.

There are colonies of penguins in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and as far north as the Galapagos Islands, which lie almost on the equator.

Penguins are not found in other areas of the world, other than zoos, because they will not cross into warm ocean waters from the cold Antarctic currents.