#african penguin
African Penguin (Spheniscus Demersus)
Some rather late arrivals at Algy’s 10th tumblr birthday party. but of course they had an awfully long way to come
Algy sends @boschintegral-photo a special fluffy hug
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OMG.
A same-sex pair of African penguins living at a Netherlands zoo stole an egg from another a heterosexual couple to raise as their own, and many people can’t help but root for them.
DierenPark Amersfoort, a zoo in the Dutch province of Utrecht, posted about the bold males on social media earlier this week. And so far, they seem to be great dads: “The gay couple are looking after the egg very well and take turns in keeping it warm,” zookeeper Marc Belt told Dutch News.
Belt said the penguin couple “acquired” the egg when no one was looking, but added that the penguin couple whose egg has been appropriated has already produced a new one.
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African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and the similar Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) can be distinguished based on their belly spots. Not meaning the two species can be distinguished (which is fairly simple to do since one lives in Africa and the other South America), but individual penguins can be distinguished. The pattern of black spots is unique for each penguin.
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African Penguin
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Photographed at the Erie Zoo, Pennsylvania
![Penguin day[ Patreon / galaxy themes / insta / S6 / RB shop ]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/e858c5573cf56587364824de2602ca56/dee06c63ea90d203-61/s1280x1920/82edb37c04676bb916599d98b8f13228ce2ea9fc.jpg "Penguin day[ Patreon / galaxy themes / insta / S6 / RB shop ]")
Not sure if she passes the mirror self-recognition test or not…..
ALTWe’re sad to share that recently hatched African penguin chick, Pfeiffer, has a congenital heart defect that can’t be repaired. Veterinary medical experts at UC Davis found a hole in Pfeiffer’s heart when our Veterinary team – who had been closely monitoring the chick and were concerned about Pfeiffer’s overall health – sent the bird there for an in-depth exam. We always hope that every animal at the Aquarium will live a long and healthy life. For animals like Pfeiffer that face challenges, we ensure that their lives – however long – are the best they can be.
Because penguins are social birds that do best in the company of others of their species, you’ll see Pfeiffer splish-splashing with the rest of the colony in our penguin exhibit. Aviculturist Dominique Blair says that Pfeiffer seems to really enjoy the water and spends a lot of time there. Right now the young bird is wearing a wing band that’s black with white letters, which usually identifies females, though we don’t yet know their sex. A strong-willed and independent juvenile penguin, Pfeiffer lets our aviculturists know that they are big enough to take care of themselves! Dominique observes, “Pfeiffer often gives me a very obvious side-eye judgment when I’m doing silly human things like singing/dancing during cleaning or trying to play with their enrichment items.”
ALTBecause of Pfeiffer’s heart condition, our aviculture and veterinary teams will be extra attentive to the bird’s overall health. They’ll be watching for subtle signs that something is amiss so they can intervene with treatment to help Pfeiffer remain active and comfortable for as long as possible. That’s our number one priority for every animal under our care.
An african penguin mask - commissioned, not for sale. Features punched feathers on the eyebrows, and a special spiky tongue!
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African Penguin Awareness Day
The African penguin is the only penguin breed to be known in Africa. These penguins only live on the south-western coast of Africa.
African penguins live in colonies and have strong social bonds. They have been seen to groom each other and have donkey like calls that they use towards each other.
The African penguin was confirmed endangered in 2010. In the 19th century, there was about 4 million total African penguins. In 2000, that number dropped to 200,000. In 2010, there was a recorded low of 55,000 left. The African penguin is expected to be extinct in about 10 years. However, many organization and groups are working on conservation efforts to save the penguins.
Some major threats are due to oil spills, shortage of food, and heat stress due to climate change.
To learn more on how you can save African penguins and other sea birds visit here.
Photo by: Harvey Barrison via Flickr
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