Test 1 Section 4
When you think of penguins, you may picture them surrounded by snow and ice. But not all penguins live where it's cold.
African penguins can keep their body temperature at a stable level.
Being a type of small and medium sized penguin species, African penguins average about 60 centimeters tall and weigh up to 3.6 kilograms.
Even though they are categorized as birds, African penguins are not able to fly because of their heavy bones.
Their flippers and their tails help them keep their balance and walk upright.
African penguin survives on a diet that is mainly comprised of marine organism.
The streamlined body of African penguin allows it to move through the water like a rocket, capable of reaching the speed of around 20 kilometers per hour when hunting for food.
The biggest threat to them on land is not just toward adult penguins. the penguin chicks are sometimes taken by the seagulls into the air.
It takes about 3 weeks to complete.
Prior to this, African penguins spend about five weeks laying down fat deposits.
Many do not reach their full life span.
They are considered to be vulnerable and have been listed as being endangered.
Two major factors have contributed to their decline.
They are struggling for nesting space due to human disruption and competing for food due to overfishing and pollution.
With the limited number of breeding pairs, survivorship becomes difficult for African penguins.
This makes them especially vulnerable as environmental conditions change or an outbreak of a disease occurs.
The more genetic diversity there is within a species, the higher the likelihood that at least some of the individuals will adapt and survive. (is)
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기