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African Penquins (Spheniscus demersus)

South Africa

Cape of Good Hope

 

Photo of African penguins taken from a boardwalk over sand dunes in South Africa at a penguin colony on the Cape of Good Hope.

 

The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the jackass penguin and black-footed penguin, is a species of penguin, confined to southern African waters.

 

It is also widely known as the "jackass" penguin for its loud, donkey-like bray, although several related species of South American penguins produce the same sound. Like all extant penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. Adults weigh on average 2.2–3.5 kg (4.9–7.7 lb) and are 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall. It has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask; the body upperparts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts, which are spotted and marked with a black band. The pink gland above their eyes helps them to cope with changing temperatures.

 

When the temperature gets hotter, the body of the African penguin sends more blood to these glands to be cooled by the air surrounding it. This then causes the gland to turn a darker shade of pink.

 

The African penguin is a pursuit diver and feeds primarily on fish and squid. Once extremely numerous, the African penguin is declining rapidly due to a combination of several threats and is classified as endangered. It is a charismatic species and is popular with tourists. – Wikipedia

 

Another image of a penguin can be seen in the image in the first comment section.

 

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Uploaded on November 13, 2018
Taken on September 15, 2011