This is a unique penguin in which they love to live in warm weather living on the coast of the southern coast and along the islands. Communication to other penguins are made through a donkey like-braying sounds. They live off of Small fish like
sardines and anchovies but squid and crustaceans are also apart of their diet. The jackass penguins have water-proof feathers which also help protect form the cold and holds a waterproof coating on the penguin. The feathers also aid in camouflage. White colors on their belly are to provide protection when predators form below are hunting underneath them. Their dark backs helps provide protection from predators hunting above as they blend in with the dark sea. The penguins do not travel for birth but breed instead in colonies. The nest in which they dig out of their own feces. Removal of penguin feces forces the penguins to relocate as their nest provide protection for the eggs. Neither sex is more responsible for the incubation of the eggs once they are laid. Two to four years after the baby penguins have been hatched they can produce offspring of their own and they can live up to 10 to 15 years. The population has been threatened recently due to pollution and overfishing causing the penguins to be put on a red list. The red list means that these jackass penguins are a risk of extinction.
This article was interesting African animals to me would be loins, giraffes, zebras, elephants, and other exotic tropical animals. I was surprised to find that penguins also live in Africa as well and are well adapted to warmer climates. This is really neat and makes Africa a unique place on earth! I hope more is done to help these penguins from becoming extinct. Educating the general public in Africa can really help these penguins and reduce the amount of pollution and overfishing in the area. It would also help if more was done to help preserve their habitat and less removal of their nests would prevent these penguins from relocating.
References
"Jack-Ass Penguins. Boulder's Beach. Simon's Town." Cape Town Bed and Breakfast Hotel Accommodation on the Beach front in Kommetjie, South Africa. Web. 16 Apr. 2010.
"Jackass Penguin-African Penguin Animals-Birds." Animals-Wildlife-Kids Coloring Pages-Animal Fact Guide. Web. 16 Apr. 2010
http://www.animalfactguide.com/animalfacts/african-penguin/ Image of map where the jackass penguins are located in Africa.
photograohy.nationalgeographic.com/photograph is where the image of the penguins are taken from.
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