UMary Allen
I-petrel yintaka ephakathi kunxweme lolwandle. Inokubonwa kulo lonke ulwandle emhlabeni. IiPetrels ziyahluka kakhulu ngobukhulu. Ngokuxhomekeka kuhlobo, zinokukhula phakathi kwe-25 centimeter kunye ne-100 centimeters ngobukhulu kwaye zibe namaphiko afikelela kwiimitha ezimbini. Oku kukhulu njengomnyango wegumbi uphakamileyo.
Ezona petrels zincinci zinobunzima obuyi 170 grams kuphela, obubunzima bulingana nepepile. Ipetrel enkulu inobunzima obufikelela kwiikhilogram ezintlanu. Ifana nealbatross. Nokuba zinkulu okanye zincinci, iipetrel zinokubhabha kakuhle kakhulu. Kwelinye icala, azikwazi ukuhamba emhlabeni ngemilenze yazo ebuthathaka. Ukuze zingawi, zidinga amaphiko azo ukuze zixhase.
Akukho mbala ukhethekileyo wepetrel. Intsiba ngamanye amaxesha iba mhlophe, mdaka, ngwevu, okanye mnyama. I petrel ikholisa ukuba neentsiba ezimnyama emqolo kunye neentsiba ezikhanyayo esiswini. Umlomo wayo ubotshelelwe kwaye umalunga neesentimitha ezintathu ubude. Loo nto imalunga nobude bento yokucima. Iimpumlo ezimbini ezinjengombhobho kwicala eliphezulu lomlomo zikhethekileyo: iintaka zikhupha ityuwa yolwandle emanzini ngale mivumbo.
Umlomo we petrel ujongiswe okwezikhonkwane kwaye unencam ezitsolo. Oku kuvumela intaka ukuba ibambe kwaye ibambelele kwixhoba layo. Uthanda ukutya iintlanzi ezincinci kunye nezinye iimollusk.
IiPetrels zihlala zodwa. Kodwa ngexesha lokukhwelana, zihlala kumathanga amakhulu kumawa okanye kwizikrweqe. Isibini ngasinye sifukamela iqanda, elinokuthabatha iinyanga ezimbini. Iqanda lineqokobhe elimhlophe kakhulu kwaye likhulu kakhulu xa lithelekiswa nobukhulu bentshontsho. Emva kokuba amantshontsho eqanduselwe, kungathatha iinyanga ezine ukuba amantshontsho abhabha.
Iintshaba zendalo ze petrel ezisemoyeni lihlungulu eliqhelekileyo, iingabangaba ezinkulu kunye nezinye iintaka ezidla inyama. Emhlabeni, kufuneka alumkele iimpungutye ze-arctic kunye nabantu.