Wet African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

            South Africa
Cape Town
Boulders Beach

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. Like all extant penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. 

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. 

The African penguin is only found on the south-western coast of Africa, living in colonies on 24 islands between Namibia and Algoa Bay, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It is the only penguin species that breeds in Africa.  

Two colonies were established by penguins in the 1980s on the mainland near Cape Town, namely Boulders Beach near Simon's Town and Stony Point in Betty's Bay. Mainland colonies probably only became possible in recent times due to the reduction of predator numbers. The only other mainland colony is in Namibia. – Wikipedia

Taken in: South Africa / Western Cape / Cape Town / Brightwater (show map)

Taken on: September 12, 2011

Tags:

SouthAfricaTrip2011

Cape Town

Boulders Beach

African Penguin

Spheniscus demersus

South African Waters

Endangered List

Jackass Penguin

Flightless

Marine Habitat

Pursuit Diver

Eats Fish

Squid

Two Colonies

Sue Roehl

Pentax K-7

Cropped

Sunrays+5 « less

Sets appears in: • South Africa, Zimbabwe Sept. 2011 - Part 2

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