O pinguim-africano é uma ave não voadora que habita a costa e as ilhas da África do Sul e da Namíbia. O animal apresenta costas e patas pretas, nadadeiras e uma "máscara" preta com contorno branco na face. O torso branco também apresenta uma faixa preta que cruza a parte superior do peito. Os olhos do pinguim-africano são circundados por manchas rosa usadas para a termorregulação. Cada pinguim apresenta um padrão de manchas pretas único no peito. Eles atingem entre 60 cm e 68 cm e pesam entre 2,2 kg e 3,5 kg. Os machos são um pouco maiores que as fêmeas e têm o bico mais longo.
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Spheniscus demersus
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african-penguin
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Animal Facts
African penguins cannot hunt while moulting as their feathers are not yet waterproof, so they fast until their plumage has fully grown in. Moulting takes 3 weeks and penguins lose 50% of their bodyweight in this time.
African penguins are preyed upon by sharks and fur seals in the ocean and kelp gulls, mongoose, cape genets and domestic cats and dogs on land.
The African penguin is also known as the Jackass penguin due to its donkey-like cry.
Penguin faeces, called guano, is an extremely effective fertilizer, but humans harvesting it disturbs the nest sites of African penguins and removes one of the main materials penguins use to build their nests.
African penguin eggs were seen as a delicacy up until the 1970s; this contributed to the species’ decline.
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