African Penguin Essay

 African Penguins

Appearance

African penguins are distinctive animals with black and white markings and a sharp, black beak. They also have black feet. African penguins have spots on their white bellies which for each penguin is different. Male penguins are larger than female penguins. Although they look the same in appearance. African penguins have pink glands above their eyes which helps them deal with temperate climates. The hotter the penguin gets, the more blood is sent to their glands to be cooled by the air surrounding them. African penguins can weigh 4 lbs to 11 lbs. They stand from 24 inches to 27 inches. 

Diet

African penguins are carnivores. Like many other penguin species, these penguins mostly consume marine animals. African penguins will eat anchovies, sardines, horse mackerel, and round herrings. If there is a short supply of food then these penguins will eat squid or crustaceans. When hunting, African penguins' streamlined body allows them to go up to 20 miles per hour in the water allowing them to catch their prey. They only hunt by diving down into the ocean, two minutes at a time. They usually go around 30 meters below sea level. It is uncommon for these penguins to go 100 meters or below.

Habitat

African penguins are found on the south-western coast of Africa. They live in 27 colonies on 24 islands. They live between Namibia and Algoa Bay, South Africa. The largest colony is found on Dyer Island. African penguins live mostly in the cold, rich waters of the Benguela Current where there is a lot of food for the penguins. African penguins spend most of their time in the sea, they gather in nesting sites on rocky islands where they go into burrows to avoid the hot sun. These penguins are the only species of penguins to not be living in non-freezing conditions. They deal with their weather by burrowing and using the pink glands above their eyes to cool down. 

Reproduction

African penguins begin to breed at the age of four. When a female and male pair up, they will stay together forever. Females will either create or find a burrow to lay her eggs. They only lay two eggs. Both eggs are incubated by both parents for 40 days. But only one egg hatches. African penguin chicks are fed for a month by their parents.  Chicks form creches (nursery) with other chicks for protection from predators. They usually stay near their parents for 3 to 5 months. After they will leave the colony unless there is plenty of food where its colony is. African penguins live from 10 to 15 years.

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The Informative Zoologist