Common iceplant vs Emperor Penguin

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum compared with Aptenodytes forsteri

Key Differences

Common iceplant is Not Evaluated while Emperor Penguin is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common iceplant	Emperor Penguin
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Sphenisciformes (Penguins)
Family	Aizoaceae	Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Genus	Mesembryanthemum	Aptenodytes (Great Penguins)
Species	Mesembryanthemum crystallinum	Aptenodytes forsteri

Conservation Status

Common iceplant

NE — Not Evaluated

Emperor Penguin

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~595.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common iceplant	Emperor Penguin
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	1.1 m
Average Weight	—	40.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common iceplant

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, India, Turkey), Europe (13 countries), North America (Mexico, United States), and South America (Chile, Ecuador).

Emperor Penguin

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common iceplant

<em>Mesembryanthemum crystallinum</em>, commonly known as the common iceplant, is a succulent annual or short-lived perennial in the family Aizoaceae. Its conservation status has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN. The species is distributed across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, with a wide global footprint that includes both native populations and naturalized occurrences. It typically inhabits coastal and arid environments, saline soils, disturbed ground, and rocky slopes where competition from other vegetation is limited. The plant is named for the glistening bladder-like cells on its surface that resemble ice crystals. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Emperor Penguin

The world's largest penguin, emperor penguins stand up to 1.2 meters and weigh 45 kg, inhabiting the Antarctic continent in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth. They breed in midwinter darkness at temperatures below -60°C, with males incubating single eggs on their feet under a brood pouch for 65 days while females are at sea. Their huddling behavior — cycling individuals through the warm center of thousands-strong groups — is a masterclass in cooperative survival.