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Emperor penguins, to put an end to a widespread myth, are not monogamous.
The neat tailcoat wearers do not lead single marriages, but usually only stay with the same partner for one breeding season - and they even like to cheat on them.
From an evolutionary point of view, the promiscuity of the penguins makes perfect sense: They live in the coldest, stormiest and at the same time driest place in the world.
The Arte documentary "Antarctica - The Frozen Time" shows the frozen continent at the southernmost point of the earth and makes it clear: Whoever wants to survive here must not be squeamish - not even when it comes to partnerships.
But when it comes to cute animals like the penguin, humans see what they want to see.
"We love and cultivate some myths about these two-legged creatures that we feel so close to," says penguin researcher Klemens Pütz.
In this way we not only humanize the birds, but also attach traits to them that we would like to have ourselves: sociability, bravery, a sense of romance.
Pütz considers projections of this kind to be daring.
After all, the flightless animals as direct descendants of the dinosaurs do not necessarily belong to our closest relatives.
Three adult emperor penguins
Source: Getty Images / Paul Souders
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“We don't know what penguins feel or how they do it,” says the biologist.
On his research trips to the Antarctic, however, Pütz observed many fascinating behavioral patterns in the emperor penguins.
Four examples relating to the sensitive mating season:
Partner choice
In April, when the Antarctic winter begins, light and hormonal status give the emperor penguins a signal that it is time to return to the place of their birth.
Then the birds shoot out of the water like small rockets and tumble, clap and tumble onto the edge of the sea ice.
From there they hurry inland and find themselves in colonies of tens of thousands of animals.
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Now the choice of partner begins: "The male animals court their potential lovers with their legs apart and with swollen chests," says Pütz.
They trumpet at the top of their throats.
If a female feels addressed by the performance, she goes to the chosen one.
This is followed by a six-week flirting ritual in which the penguins show each other their cheek patches.
If both say “yes”, it can go on.
A question of balance
For copulation at the end of May, the lady penguin lies flat on her stomach and the male penguin climbs onto her back.
With the king penguins, the somewhat smaller relatives of the emperor penguins, the foreplay is a bit coarser: the male gives his partner a kick, which causes her to tip over.
Then the chosen one mounts it.
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The penguin expert Boris Culik compares sex among penguins with trying to put two bottles on top of each other.
If this acrobatic masterpiece is successful, the female lays an egg within a few days.
That pushes it on the partner's feet - and pulls away.
Paternity leave
The penguin woman leaves her brooding partner in the cold for a good two months.
The waiting time is tough: Icy winds whip across the continent at up to 100 kilometers per hour, and temperatures drop to 40 degrees below zero.
If it gets too uncomfortable, the fathers-to-be band together in a crowd.
Until their young are on their own two feet, the penguin parents take turns raising them
Source: Getty Images
What looks like group cuddling is, however, a pure community of convenience.
“Ultimately, they are all egoists,” says Klemens Pütz.
Meanwhile, the females indulge in the classic “Antarctic cocktail” in the open sea - a mixture of fish, squid and krill.
They move extremely elegantly under water: one wing beat is enough and they glide up to 30 meters.
It's a pleasure to see you again
In August, the female returns to her companion in her life cycle, full and full.
He recognizes the husband by his voice - because the men are visually a bit out of shape: the 1.20 meter tall animals lose up to 20 kilos during the Antarctic winter.
From now on, the couples take care of raising their chicks together.
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They feed their young alternately until December, when it flies.
The migration back to the sea begins in January - and with it a new breeding cycle.
And yes - there are definitely couples who find each other a second time.
However, around 80 percent of emperor penguins end up in the wings of a new partner.
Biologist Klemens Pütz with his favorite animals
Source: private
To person
Klemens Pütz, penguin researcher: The biologist has been researching the life of penguins for around 30 years and spends several months a year with the animals in the Antarctic.
In 2018, his book “Unverfrige Freunde” was published, which provides a humorous insight into the life of penguins.
Penguins on TV
The science documentary "
Antarctica - The Frozen Time
" runs on Saturday, April 17th at 8:15 pm and can be found in the Arte media library until July 15th.