Artwork © Frontier Developments

African Penguin

Spheniscus demersus · Africa

Requirements at a glance

Scientific name

Spheniscus demersus

Status

Critically Endangered

Biomes

Open Sea, Grassland

Temperature

3–36 °C

Land area

180 m²

Shelter

2 m²

Deep water

67 m²

Aquatic area

135 m²

Barrier

Grade 2 · 1 m

Group size

6–500 (500♂ / 500♀)

Temperament

Neutral

Food / period

$84

Building the habitat

The land area is a hard floor: 180 m² for the enclosure itself, plus 2 m² of shelter on top. Barrier grade 2 at 1 m contains the animal without overspending on fencing you do not need.

Keep the habitat inside 3–36 °C. Temperature is one of the most common reasons a habitat quietly loses welfare, because it never triggers the alarm that hunger does.

Group limits matter more than most players expect: mixed groups run 6–500, capped at 500 male and 500 female. Exceeding the male cap is what causes fights — not total headcount.

Compatible species

None listed — keep this species on its own or in a single-species group.

Budgeting this habitat

Food runs about $84 per period. See how that compares across the roster in our food cost ranking, or start from the best starter animals if this is a first zoo.

Similar species

Habitat

Meerkat

Least Concern

180 m² land

Habitat

Aardvark

Least Concern

160 m² land

Habitat

Secretarybird

Endangered

200 m² land

Habitat

Nile Monitor

Least Concern

220 m² land

Biome: Open SeaGrassland

Figures from the official Planet Zoo 2 Zoopedia, checked 2026-10-21; patches can change them — trust your in-game build menu if they differ. Official entry. Artwork © Frontier Developments; used here for identification.