By

Avery Krebs

There are five different groups of animals with

vertebrates. These classifications are: Mammals Fish Reptiles Birds Amphibians

The Penguin has certain characteristics that make it a bird.

Here are some of its attributes:They are covered with feathers.They are warm-blooded.They breathe through lungs.Penguins lay eggs.

Penguins are birds that cannot fly. The African Penguins are about 2 feet tall. They weigh from 6 to 8 pounds. The male is larger and has a longer bill than the female. There is a black stripe on its chest. Like all penguins, African Penguins have a big head, a short thick neck, and a streamlined shape. They have a short wedge shaped tail, and a small flipper like wings.

They have webbed feet which they use for swimming. They have a lighter color on their back. This camouflage helps them when they are in water. It helps them hide from their enemies.

African Penguins are also called Black-Footed Penguins . They mostly live in water. They live in Australia, New Zealand, South America, and Antarctica. That means that they only live below the equator.

Penguins mostly eat fish, squid, sardines, scrod, anchovies. They are carnivores. That means they are meat-eaters. They hunt in the water. The mother and father take turns feeding the child. Take a look at the picture.

A penguin have many enemies. When they are in the water ,penguins’ predators are leopards seals, killer whales, fur seals, sea lions, and sharks. In Australia, the penguins enemies on land are rats, cats, foxes, sea eagles, and other birds of prey.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the African Penguin. Next time you go to the z00, I hope you see penguins when you go there. They are fun to watch!

If you want to learn more, visit

www.enchantedlearning.com

You can also visit your local library to get a good book to read.