黑腳企鵝是一種不會飛的鳥類，棲息在南非和納米比亞的海岸。黑腳企鵝有黑色的背部、鰭狀肢和足部，像面具一樣的黑色臉部則被一圈白色皮毛環繞。牠們的軀幹也呈白色，胸口上有一條黑色條紋。黑腳企鵝的眼睛周圍有粉紅色的斑塊，具有調節體溫的效果。每隻企鵝胸口的黑色斑紋都是獨一無二的。黑腳企鵝身高約 60 至 68 公分，體重約為 2.2 至 3.5 公斤。雄性的體型比雌性稍大，且有較長的喙。
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Spheniscus demersus
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false
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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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