Seals are predatory animals adapted to life in the sea. Most species are found in the cold and temperate seas of both hemispheres. They are also found in some inland water bodies, for example, in lakes Baikal and Ladoga. To protect from the cold, seals have a thick layer of fat under their skin. The seals trace their ancestry from land-based predators and, due to their differences, make up a separate order of pinnipeds, since their hind legs have turned into flippers. There are about 30 different types pinnipeds. We have already examined the family of eared seals using the example of a fur seal and a lion. The family of real seals is distinguished by the structure of the hind flippers, the presence of claws on them and the shape of the ears - they lack external shells. Since the hind flippers of animals do not bend at the heel joint, they cannot serve as a support when moving on land or ice, but seals move under water mainly thanks to them.
Most interesting representatives These seals are the Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddelli), the common seal, the tevjak (Halichoerus grypus), the harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandica), etc. This also includes the southern (M. leonina) and northern elephant seals - the two largest seals. The length of the first can reach 5.5 m, weight - 2.5 tons. The second is even larger and heavier. They feed mainly on fish, as well as cuttlefish and crabs. When searching for food, they can dive to a depth of 500 m and stay under water for up to 40 minutes. However, these figures relate to the record holder - the Weddell seal, which still prefers to hunt not so deeply - no deeper than 335-250 m. Other seals are looking for food at even shallower depths.
The gray, or long-faced, seal (sometimes also called the tevyak) got its name for its highly elongated muzzle without a ledge in the nose bridge area. It lives in the Western Atlantic, near the Labrador Peninsula, regularly occurs off the coast of Iceland, and sometimes even enters the Baltic Sea.
The harp seal, or bald seal, inhabits the northern latitudes of the Atlantic and partly the Arctic Ocean.
Probably the most beautiful representatives of the family are striped seals. So, lionfish (Histriophoca fasciata) is dark brown or black. Against this background, white stripes 10-12 cm wide are located. One stripe girdles the body in a ring, the other covers the region of the sacrum, and finally, there are stripes in the form of ovals on the sides of the body, where they surround the base of the front flippers. The three most common species of real seals are the crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) (50 million), the ringed seal, or, as it is also called on Far East, akiba (Phoca hispida) (6-7 million) and harp seal (2.5 million). It is very difficult to see seals off the coast of Europe. The common seal is most widespread there. For example, in the shallow waters of the North Sea, on sandy shoals, there are small herds of seals. In other countries, they are located on pebble or rocky shores. Like many other marine animals, the seal suffers greatly from the pollution of the seas. It is all the more important for their protection not to disturb them on the shore.
Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossi) - very rare view inhabiting the most inaccessible southern Antarctic waters. Outwardly, it is easy to distinguish it from other Antarctic pinnipeds. His body is short and relatively thick, but the most characteristic is a very thick, wrinkled neck, into which he can almost completely draw his head. This seal also has front flippers almost the same length as hind flippers. The subcutaneous fat layer is highly developed, which further complicates the movement of the animal on land, making it terribly awkward.
The Ross seal is capable of making loud melodic sounds, the nature of which is unknown. He is not afraid of people, there were cases when they came close to the seal and touched it with their hands. Hunting for this type of seal is prohibited. international agreement.
Leopard seals are the most widespread among Antarctic seals, although their numbers are relatively small. They lead mainly single image life, only during the breeding season are sometimes not observed large groups seals. Previously widespread belief that sea leopard can attack a person, mistakenly. Only in case of pursuit can this beast rush to the hunter.
Common seal (Phoca vitulina)
| The magnitude | Males: body length 1.4-1.9 m and weight up to 100 kg; females: body length 1.2-1.7 m and weight 45-80 kg | Signs | Long elongated body; short, round head; nasal openings V-shape; fur is gray and grayish-brown with black spots |
| Nutrition | Hunting fish cephalopods and crustaceans; looking for food in shallow water; adults require 5 kg of feed per day |
| Reproduction | Pregnancy 10-11 months; 1 cub, less often 2; yassa of a newborn about 10 kg |
| Habitat | Lives on sandy, pebble and rocky shores of the seas, occurs in river mouths with suitable places for rookeries; distributed along the shores of Europe, Greenland and North America |
Seals - common name marine mammals, uniting representatives of two families: real and eared seals. Clumsy enough on land, they are excellent swimmers underwater. Their traditional habitat is the coastal zones of the southern and northern latitudes. The species of seals that exist in nature are very different, but at the same time, there are many common features in their appearance, habits and lifestyle.
The origin of seals
It is known that the ancestors pinniped mammals once walked freely on the earth. Later, possibly due to the worsening climatic conditions, they were forced to sink into the water. Moreover, most likely, real and eared seals evolved from different animals.
Scientists believe that the ancestors of the present, or were creatures similar to otters, which fifteen million years ago were found in North Atlantic... The eared seal is more ancient - its ancestors, dog-like mammals, lived in northern latitudes The Pacific.
Differences in body structure
The unrelated origin of these two groups of seals confirms the significant difference in the structure of their skeleton. So, the common seal on land is almost helpless. On the shore, he lies on his stomach, his front flippers stick out on the sides, and the rear ones, when moving, drag along the ground, like a fish's tail. To move forward, the beast is forced to constantly jump, moving its very heavy body.
The eared seal, in contrast, rests firmly on all four limbs. At the same time, his front fins have sufficiently powerful muscles to support a fairly substantial body weight, and the rear ones do not drag behind, but are turned forward and are located under the belly. Usually this animal is waddling, using all the fins in the process of walking, and if necessary, it can "hobble" at a very decent speed. So, a fur seal is able to run along a rocky coast even faster than a person.
How seals swim
The front flippers of real seals are much smaller than the rear flippers. The latter are always stretched back and do not bend at the calcaneal joint. They are unable to serve as a support when moving on land, but it is thanks to them that the animal swims in the water, making powerful strokes.
An eared seal moves in a completely different way in the water. It swims like a penguin, sweeping its forelimbs. The rear fins only serve as a rudder.
general description
Different types of seals differ significantly in length (from almost one and a half to six meters) and in body weight (males - from seventy kilograms to three tons). The largest common seals are elephant seals, and the smallest are ringed seals. Eared seals are usually not that big. The largest of them, the sea lion, can grow up to four meters and weigh a little over a ton. The smallest, the Kerch fur seal, is a seal weighing only about one hundred kg and reaching a length of one and a half meters. The seals have developed sexual dimorphism - their males significantly outnumber females in weight and body size.
The body shape of the seals is ideally suited for comfortable movement in the water. All of them have an elongated body, a long and flexible neck, a short but well-defined tail. The head is usually small, and the auricles are clearly visible only in eared seals; in real ones, the hearing organs are small holes on the sides of the head.
All seals are united by the presence of a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, which allows them to keep warm well in cold water... Seals of many species are born covered with thick fur, which is worn for no more than three weeks (its color is usually white). A real seal (adult) has a rough hairline, which does not have a pronounced underfill, and elephant seals are completely deprived of it almost completely. As for eared seals, their downy down, on the contrary, can be quite dense, while fur seals retain a thick fur coat even in adulthood.
Lifestyle
Most seals live in coastal areas- where underwater currents rise from the bottom of the masses of water, teeming with microscopic creatures. There are many small aquatic fauna in these places. It, in turn, is eaten by fish, which serve as food for seals.
It is a carnivore. The seal has a tooth structure similar to predatory mammals... He prefers to hunt by diving into the depths. In addition to fish, seals feed on crayfish, crabs, and the Leopard Seal sometimes attacks penguins and other smaller seals.
These creatures are perfectly adapted to low temperatures... They lead a predominantly aquatic lifestyle, getting out on land to sleep and during periods of molting and reproduction. When a seal dives, its nostrils and auditory openings close tightly, preventing water from entering. Most seals have poor vision, but their eyes are adapted to observe movement in the water in low light.
Reproduction
During the breeding season, most species of true seals mate. Of these, only elephant seals and long-faced seals are polygamous. Pregnancy of a female lasts from 280 to 350 days, after which one cub is born - already sighted and fully formed. The mother feeds him with fat milk from several weeks to one month, stopping feeding even when the seal is still unable to get food on its own. For some time, babies starve, surviving on the accumulated fat reserves.
Due to the thick white fur that covers the skin and is almost invisible against the background of snow, the newborn seal got the nickname "belek". The seal, however, is not always born white: baby bearded seals, for example, are olive brown. As a rule, females try to hide babies in "holes" of snow between ice hummocks, which contributes to their better survival.
During the breeding season, eared seals gather in rather large herds in secluded coastal areas and islands. The first to appear on the shore are males, who, trying to capture larger areas, arrange fights with each other. Then females appear on the rookery. After some time, each of them gives birth to a cub, and soon after that it mates again with the male, which continues to guard its territory. The aggression of male eared seals fades away with the end of the breeding season. Then these animals begin to spend more and more time in the water. In colder latitudes, they migrate to winter to where it is a little warmer, and in more favorable conditions can stay near their rookeries all year round.
The most famous species of real seals
In the family of real seals, according to various sources, it consists of eighteen to twenty-four species.
These include:
- monk seals (white-bellied, Hawaiian, Caribbean);
- elephant seals (northern and southern);
- the Ross seal;
- the Weddell seal;
- crabeater seal;
- sea leopard;
- bearded seal (bearded seal);
- hooded man;
- common and spotted seals;
- seal (Baikal, Caspian and ringed);
- long-faced seal;
- lionfish (striped seal).
All species of seals of this family are represented in the fauna of Russia.
Eared seals
The modern fauna numbers fourteen to fifteen species of eared seals. They are grouped into two large groups (subfamilies).
The first group includes seals, including:
- northern (the only species of the same name);
- southern (South American, New Zealand, Galapagos, Kerguelen, Fernandez, Cape, Guadalupe, subantarctic).
The second group is formed:
- sea lion (northern);
- Californian;
- Galapagos;
- Japanese;
- southern;
- Australian;
- New Zealand.
In the waters of Russia, seals of this family are represented by sea lions and northern fur seals.
Protected species of seals
As a result of active human intervention in the life of nature, many species of animals, including seals, are now on the verge of extinction.
So, several species of seals are listed in the Red Book of Russia at once. This is a sea lion living in the Kuril Islands and in the Kamchatka region. The spotted seal, or seal, inhabiting the Far East, is also called rare. The long-faced, or tevyak, is currently considered protected. It is found in the Baltic Sea and on the Murmansk coast. The ringed seal, a valuable Far Eastern commercial seal, was on the verge of extermination.
Contains a record of the monk seal. Conservation status of this species is designated as "missing". This extremely shy animal has a low reproductive potential and does not at all withstand the close presence of a person. Only about ten pairs of monk seals live in the Black Sea, and today their number in the world is no more than five hundred individuals.
Common seal
The common seal is quite widespread on the coasts northern seas Europe. This species lives relatively sedentary, choosing usually rocky or sandy areas. coastal zone, islets, shoals and spits in bays and estuaries. Its main food is fish, as well as aquatic invertebrates.
Cubs of these seals are usually born on the shore in May-July, and a few hours after birth they go into the water. They feed on mother's milk for about a month and manage to gain up to thirty kilograms on this nutritious diet. However, due to the fact that the milk of the female seal gets a large number of heavy metals and pesticides from the fish eaten by it, many cubs fall ill and die.
Despite the fact that this species is not listed as protected, as, for example, the spotted seal or ringed seal, it also requires respectful attitude to itself, as its numbers are inexorably dwindling.
Crabeater seal
The Antarctic crabeater seal is considered the most numerous species seal in the world. According to various estimates, its number reaches from seven to forty million individuals - this is four times more than the number of all other seals.
The size of adults is up to two and a half meters, they weigh two to three hundred kilograms. Interestingly, the females of this seal species are somewhat larger than the males. These animals live in the Southern Ocean, drifting near the coast in summer, and migrating to the north with the onset of autumn.
They feed mainly on krill (small Antarctic crustaceans), this is facilitated by special structure their jaws.
The main natural enemies crabeater seals are leopard seals and killer whales. The first is a threat mainly to young and inexperienced animals. The seals escape from the killer whale by jumping out of the water onto the ice floes with incredible dexterity.
Sea leopard
It is not in vain that this sea seal is the "namesake" of the formidable feline predator. An insidious and ruthless hunter, he is not content exclusively with fish: penguins, skuas, loons and other birds become his victims. He often attacks even small seals.
The teeth of this animal are small, but very sharp and strong. There are known cases of attacks by leopard seals on humans. Like the "land" leopard, the sea predator has the same spotted skin: black spots are randomly scattered on a dark gray background.
Along with the killer whale, the leopard seal is considered one of the main predators of the southern polar region. The seal, which reaches more than three and a half meters in length and weighs more than four hundred and fifty kilograms, is capable of moving along the edge of drifting ice at an astonishing speed. As a rule, it attacks its prey in water.
The leopard seal is the only seal whose diet is based on warm-blooded creatures.
Family True seals(Phocidae) unites 19 species of animals, whose life is connected with water much more than that of other finpods. They differ from eared seals by the absence of auricles (for which they are often called earless seals) and the fact that their hind flippers do not bend at the heel joint and do not participate in the movement of animals on land.
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Real seals simply push off the ground or ice with their front fins. Excellent swimmers and divers. They move in the water due to the undulating movements of the back of the body and hind flippers. Physiology allows them to dive deeply for food and stay under water for a long time. While diving, your heart rate drops, but your blood pressure does not drop. This is achieved due to the fact that at a depth of blood flow to the heart and a seal's brain decreases, and the oxygen contained in it is spent on the work of muscles and other organs that help the animal to get food. Body at the present The seal is shaped like a torpedo and is protected from the cold by a thick layer of subcutaneous fat. The head, torso and flippers are covered with short hair. The seals molt once a year.
In some species, males are larger and heavier than females, in others, vice versa. Mostly gregarious polygamous animals. Most species are characterized by a latent phase of pregnancy, a delay in the development of the embryo after mating. Due to this, the timing of childbearing and mating is synchronized and confined to a relatively short period of life on land.
Gray seal
The male weighs up to 300 kg and of all real seals second in size only to the moan of the sea. The thick skin on the powerful shoulders of males forms numerous folds and wrinkles. They are sometimes 2 times heavier than females, have a wider, massive snout and a more convex, rounded forehead. After the breeding season, gray seals make distant migrations, but they mostly stay in coastal waters, where they feed on fish, squid, octopuses and crustaceans.
Within the range, they breed at different times, but females always go to the rookery earlier than males and have time to give birth to cubs before they appear. Arriving males immediately acquire individual territories, while fights are usually not satisfied. Old, experienced animals occupy the most convenient parts of the coast, although in a few days they can settle in a new place. For about 3 weeks, the female feeds the cub with milk, and then mates with the male and leaves the rookery.
Harp seal
It has a black or dark brown head coloration and 2 symmetrical dark markings on the sides of its body. On the rest of the body, the fur is usually yellowish white or light gray. These great swimmers most spend years at sea, making regular migrations to the north and south. They can move quickly on ice. The main food - fish and crustaceans are often taken at great depths.
They usually live in herds. Only old males keep one by one. In late February and early March, females gather on wide ice floes and give birth to 1 calf each. For about a month they feed seals bold nutritious milk, and then swim away to sea for feeding. In 2-3 weeks after giving birth, females mate with males that have appeared on ice floes. Caring for friends, males constantly start fights among themselves, using teeth and flippers. In late spring, the entire herd begins to migrate north to summer feeding grounds.
Common seal (seal)
The color varies greatly: the main color of the fur can be light or creamy gray, and the spots scattered over it can be gray, brown or even black. Males are slightly larger than females. These seals do not make distant migrations and often choose to rest on rocky shores or reefs protruding from the water. In pursuit of salmon going to spawn, they sometimes swim into rivers and fresh lakes. The main food for seals- fish, squid and crustaceans - sometimes they are caught on great depth, staying under water during the hunt for up to 30 minutes, although usually no more than 4-5 minutes.
Groom and mate underwater. Females give birth to young on ice floes and feed them nutritious milk for 4-6 weeks. Babies are born well-developed: immediately after birth, they begin to swim, and after 2-3 days they can stay under water for 2 minutes. When pup stops drinking milk, the female leaves it and mates with the male in order to give birth to a new baby in a year.
Crabeater seal
Perhaps today crabeater seals are the most numerous representatives of the pinniped order. They live in the desert waters of Antarctica, where, except for killer whales, they have almost no enemies. Able to quickly move on ice, alternately pushing off with their front fins and rear end torso. Travel speed reaches 25 km / h!
The main food is krill - small crustaceans, which the fields are sifted out of the water using a kind of sieve formed by deeply cut edges of the teeth.
Females give birth to young and mate with males from October to late December. Seals are born well-developed, so the females feed them with milk for only 2-3 weeks.
Sea hare (bearded seal)
On the sides of the muzzle of this representative of pinnipeds, thick, very long and thick whiskers (vibrissae) grow. The sea hare is a large, heavily built seal with grayish-brown fur. Females are slightly larger than males. Their food - crustaceans, molluscs and fish - animals get mainly at the bottom, therefore they live in shallow coastal waters, making short migrations in search of food.
In the spring they gather on floating ice floes and start breeding. Females reach sexual maturity at 6 years of age and each year give birth to 1 cub, which is hatched for 10-11 months. Seals begin to swim immediately after birth. Females feed them with milk for 12-18 days, having time to mate with males during this time.
Sea leopard
Its long slender body perfectly adapted for spearfishing on fast-swimming animals - penguins and seals... Wide mouth with sharp teeth helps to grab and hold victims. He catches penguins both in water and on ice floes. Before eating the caught bird, he deftly rips off the skin from it with his teeth. Sometimes it eats fish, squid and crustaceans.
Information on the reproduction of leopard seals is very scarce. It is only known that these seals mate from January to March.
Monk seal
Monk seals are very rare. Previously deserted rocky beaches and islands, where these shy animals breed, today attract scuba divers, lovers of underwater hunting and noisy boat trips. Often seals get entangled in fishing nets. Females with cubs and pregnant females especially suffer from the restless neighborhood: due to severe fright or constant stress, they lose milk or have miscarriages. Cubs are born from May to November, but most are born in September-October. Females feed them with milk for about 6 bedels.
Weddell seal
It features a disproportionately small head, a pretty short muzzle and extraordinary gullibility towards a person. Females are slightly longer than males. This beast - champion among all seals in diving depth... The maximum recorded diving depth was 600 m, and the duration of stay under water was 73 minutes! Usually, seals hunt at a depth of 300-400m, it is the scrap layer that keeps their favorite cod fish. When diving to such a significant depth, the heart rate decreases in seal 4 times.
At normal times of the year, they live alone. Young animals are sometimes kept in groups. In the spring, during the breeding season, males, apparently, acquire individual underwater areas where females can freely swim. Females form small clusters on floating ice floes and give birth to 1 calf each. For about 12 days, they stay close to the babies, and then spend half of the time at sea feeding. At 6 weeks, the seals stop feeding on milk, and after another week they are already swimming with might and main and can dive to a depth of 90 m. breast-feeding, females mate with males.
Khokhlach
It spends most of its life on the open sea, catching fish and squid at a considerable depth. In the summer, hooded people gather on ice floes drifting in the Danish Strait between Greenland and Iceland, and molt. After molting, they spread over the seas to meet again next spring in another place - off the island of Newfoundland. Here, on floating ice floes, females give birth to 1 calf in March, which are fed with milk for 7-12 days. All this time, next to the ice floe that sheltered the female and the baby, the male swims and drives away rivals. Periodically, it crawls out onto the ice floe and emits a roar, the volume of which is amplified by the expandable leathery bag on the nose. If another male appears on the ice, a fight ensues between the rivals. About 2 weeks after giving birth, the female mates with her beau.
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Real sea lump, the seal is one of the amazing representatives of the animal world of our planet, connecting both marine and terrestrial lifestyles. V broad sense by seals they mean all representatives of the order of pinnipeds, mammals, in which, in the course of evolutionary transformations, real flippers have developed instead of traditional paws. But usually by seals we mean animals from the family of real seals and our article is about them.
Seal: description, structure, characteristics. What does a seal look like?
The appearance of the seal is due to their aquatic lifestyle. On the one hand, the fins, which gave the name to the whole species - "pinnipeds", turn these clumsy ground bumpers into great swimmers... On the other hand, seals, unlike whales and dolphins, have not lost their connection with land, where everyone also spends a lot of time.
All seals are fairly large animals. So the mass of a seal, depending on the species, ranges from 40 kg (for a seal) to 2.5 tons (for a sea seal). Also, the body length of a seal varies from 1.25 meters for the seal - the smallest among the family of real seals, then 6.5 meters for elephant seal, whose name speaks volumes about largest sizes this type of seal. And interestingly, many seals of the same species can change their size depending on the season, as they tend to accumulate seasonal reserves of fat, which then disappear.
The body shape of the seal is elongated and streamlined, the neck is short and thick; it is crowned with the head of a seal, which is relatively small in size, but has a flattened cranium. Seal flippers have very developed hands and feet.
The body of the seal is covered with short and hard hair, which, on the one hand, does not impede their movement under water, and on the other hand, protects its owner from the cold. Also, the seals are protected from the cold by the reserves of subcutaneous fat accumulated by the seals for the winter. In fact, this subcutaneous fat of seals performs a thermoregulatory function, allowing animals to easily endure the harsh Arctic and Antarctic cold. The color of most species of seals is gray or brown, some species have a speckled pattern.
When you look at a photo of a seal, it seems that this creature is very clumsy and slow on land, and this is indeed so, since when moving the seals lean on their forelimbs and stomach, while hind limbs just dragging along the ground. Moreover, given the rather large mass of seals, it is really difficult for them to move on the ground. But once in the water, the seals are completely transformed, from the slowness and awkwardness that is characteristic of them on land, not even a trace remains - in the water they are able to reach speeds of up to 25 km per hour. In addition, seals are excellent divers, capable of diving up to 600 m in depth.
True, seals can spend no more than 10 minutes under water, during which time the supply ends, which is in a special air bag (under the seal's skin) and you have to return to land again.
The eyes of seals, although larger, nevertheless, their eyesight is not very well developed (as, incidentally, all aquatic mammals), all seals are myopic. But poor eyesight is perfectly compensated by good hearing and especially smell, as seals are able to catch odors at a distance of 300-500 meters. And the seals also have the so-called tactile vibrises (also called "whiskers") with the help of which they navigate among the underwater obstacles. It is also worth noting that some species of seals have the ability to echolocate, although it is much less developed in them than in whales and dolphins.
Seals, with the exception of a few species, do not have sexual dimorphism, that is, males and females look the same (only in the hooded seal and elephant seal, the males have a special "decoration" on the face). As for the genitals, in seals, like many other aquatic mammals, they are hidden in the folds of the skin and are not visible.
Where does the seal live
The habitat of seals is very wide, we can say that this is the whole Earth... True, given marine image life of seals, they all live on the coasts of the seas and oceans. Most of the species of these animals live in the cold latitudes of the Arctic and Antarctic, where, thanks to their subcutaneous fat, they perfectly tolerate the cold there, but there are also seals such as the monk seal that live in the warm Mediterranean.
There are also several types of seals such as Baikal seal live in the inland lakes of the continents.
How many seals live
The life span of seals depends on whether it is a male or a female, females live longer than males, on average, their life span is 35 years, males, alas, live on average 10 years less - 25 years.
Seals lifestyle
Although seals form group aggregations - the so-called rookeries on the seashore and oceans, unlike other pinnipeds, the herd instinct is much less characteristic. For example, they feed and rest separately, and only in case of danger they monitor the behavior of their fellows.
Also, seals are very peaceful creatures, they practically do not quarrel with each other, with the exception, of course, of the mating season, when several males seek one female, in such a situation even peace-loving seals can be furious.
As we wrote above, on the coast, seals are awkward and slow, therefore, in rookeries, they are specially located closer to the water in order to dive into the water surface in case of danger. Also, from time to time they just dive into the water for prey and here we move on to the next point.
What does a seal eat
Seals are predators, and the main source of their food is various marine animals: fish, mollusks, crayfish, crabs. Large seals such as the leopard seal would love to feast on, say.
Enemies of seals
In turn, the seals themselves can become prey for other larger marine predators: sharks, killer whales. Also, Arctic seals can be in danger on the shore in the form of white people and people (for example, the Chukchi have hunted seals since ancient times).
Types of seals, photos and names
According to the zoological classification, there are 24 species of real seals, we will describe the most interesting of them.
This type of seal is perhaps the most thermophilic among seals, as it prefers the warm waters of the Mediterranean, Hawaiian and Caribbean islands, where it actually lives, to the cold Arctic and Antarctic cold. Also, unlike other seals, it has a well-developed posterior part of the lower jaw. The body length of a monk seal is 2-3 meters with a weight of 250 kg. It has a gray-brown color and a light belly, through which it received its second name - the white-bellied seal. Interestingly, in the past, monk seals lived in the Black Sea, and they could be found on Black Sea coast our country, but in Lately the population of these seals has significantly decreased, at the moment all subspecies of the monk seal are listed in the Red Book.
As you might guess from the name, the elephant seal is the most great view seals, its length can reach 6.5 meters and weighs 2.5 tons. Also, some property with elephants is given not only by the large size, but also by the presence of a long-nose-like nose in male elephant seals. Depending on their habitat, elephant seals are divided into two subspecies: the northern elephant seal lives on the coast of North America, and the southern elephant seal lives in Antarctica.
Named after the English explorer James Ross. This is a relatively small Antarctic seal, well, how small, its body length is about 2 meters and weighs 200 kg. He has a very thick neck in the folds, in which he can easily hide his head. It is poorly studied, since it lives in hard-to-reach regions of Antarctica.
The crabeater seal, so named for its gastronomic addiction to crabs, is also the largest seal in the world, with estimates ranging from 7 million to 40 million. It has average dimensions for seals - body length - 2.2-2.6 meters, weight - 200-300 kg, long narrow muzzle. These seals live in Antarctica and the southern seas washing it; they often like to arrange their rookeries on ice floes, swimming with them.
Named so because of its spotted skin and predatory behavior, this species is considered the most dangerous and aggressive among seals. In particular, leopard seals do not hesitate to attack smaller seals of other species, but penguins are their favorite treat. The size of the leopard seal is larger than that of many other species of seals, second only to the elephant seal, its body length can reach up to 4 meters and weighs 600 kg. It inhabits the entire coast of Antarctica.
It is named in honor of another Englishman - British navigator Sir James Weddell, the former commander of a research expedition in the Weddell Sea, during which this type of seal was first discovered by Europeans. Among other seals, the Weddell seal stands out for its remarkable diving and underwater abilities - while many other seals in the depths of the sea can stay for no more than 10 minutes, this seal can swim for an hour. Also lives in Antarctica.
Unlike its brethren described above, this seal lives in the Arctic, mainly on the coast of North America, Greenland. It differs from other seals in its spotted coloration.
This species of seals, represented by four subspecies (depending on their habitat), lives throughout the northern Arctic hemisphere: on the shores of North America, Scandinavia, in the northern part of Russia. Some subspecies common seal due to their poaching, they are endangered.
The long-faced seal is so named because of its length, as even for seals, the muzzle. The body length of a long-faced seal is 2.5 meters and weighs up to 300 kg. Lives in the North Atlantic: on the coasts of Greenland, Scandinavia and Iceland.
Another of the northern seals that lives on the Greenland coast itself. They differ from other species of seals in their characteristic color: only they have a silvery-gray coat, a black head, and a black horseshoe-shaped line that extends from the shoulders on both sides. The harp seal is relatively small - its body length is 170-180 cm, and its weight is 120-140 kg.
It differs from other seals in its unusual striped color of white and black flowers. Lives in the Berengovo, Okhotsk and Chukchi seas. The body length of the striped seal is 150-190 cm, the weight is 70-90 kg.
Seal
The seal is the smallest species of seal, its body length averages 1.5 meters and weighs up to 100 kg. But this, on average, is the smallest among the subspecies of seals - the Ladoga seal, which actually lives in Lake Ladoga, has a body length of no more than 135 cm and weighs 40 kg. In general, seals live in the cold and temperate waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, as well as in large lakes and inland seas... Depending on the habitat, such subspecies as the Caspian seal, the Baikal seal, and the Ladoga seal are distinguished.
Breeding seals
Seals breed, and all types, only once a year. Mating season they usually come at the end of summer. During this period, skirmishes are possible between competing males seeking the attention of one female. She, as expected, will eventually choose the strongest male for mating.
The pregnancy of a female seal lasts a year, after which only one baby is born. True, he is born as a fully developed and adapted seal. Little seals have white skin, which is why they are also called seals. They cannot accompany their mother in the water, so they spend most of their time on the shore or on a drifting ice floe. Very quickly feeding on fatty mother's milk, rich in proteins, they begin to mature and increase in size until they become adult self-sufficient seals.
- The age of a dead seal can be determined by the number of circles at the base of its tusks.
- The mother's milk of a female seal is the fattest in its composition (the fat content in it exceeds 50%), the same fatty milk is still available only in whales.
- The Latin name of the seal in our language is translated as “small Guinea pig"(However, not quite small).
- Seals, like humans, can cry, however, unlike us, they do not have lacrimal glands.
Seal, video
And in conclusion, cognitive documentary about our today's heroes - "The Riddle of the Caspian Seal Rookery".
This article is available in English -.
Seals, sea lions and walruses are ocean mammals in the pinniped group (Seals). Seals are not as close to water as whales. Seals need compulsory rest on the land.
The seals are related but found in different taxonomic families.
- The so-called Earless (true) seals are members of the Phocidae family.
- Sea lions and seals are members of the Otariidae family.
- Walruses belong to the Morzhov family.
The main difference between earless and eared seals is their ears.
- Sea lions have outer ear flaps. These folds of skin are designed to keep water from entering the ear when the seal swims or dives.
- "True" seals have no outer ears at all. Need to get very close to them to see tiny holes on the sides of the seal's sleek head.
Another difference between seal groups is their rear flippers:
In real seals, the rear flippers do not bend or tuck forward, but only backward. This prevents them from "walking" on the ground. They move on land with undulating body movements.
Sea lions (seals and sea lions) can move on land using their hind legs (flippers).
Third difference:
Fourth difference:
- Sea lions are noisy animals.
- Real seals are much quieter - their vocalization resembles a soft grunt.
There are 18 species of real seals and 16 species of eared seals.
The largest representative of true seals is the southern elephant seal. A massive male, weighing up to 8500 pounds. (3 855.5 kg). The female elephant seal is much lighter but still weighs more than a 2,000 lb (907.18 kg) car.
Males measure about 20 feet (6 meters) in length, with a female about half the length.
The smallest representative of true (earless) seals is the seal. The seal has an average body length of 5 feet (1.5 m) and a weight of 110 to 150 pounds (that's 50 to 70 kg). Unlike other seals, male and female seals are about the same size.
The seal is the most abundant seal in the Arctic, according to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Of the 16 species of eared seals, seven are sea lion species.
One of the most known species, according to NOAA, is considered the California sea lion. V wildlife these animals live along the west coast of North America. They can often be seen basking on beaches and marinas.
Males average about 700 pounds (315 kg) and can reach weights in excess of 1000 pounds (455 kg). Females weigh 240 pounds (110 kg) on average.
Seal habitat (seal)
True seals usually live in the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean and off the coast of Antarctica.
Harp (harp seal), ringed seal (akiba), Icelandic hooded seal, sea hare(bearded seal), spotted seal (seal), bearded walrus and lionfish live in the Arctic.
Crabeater, Weddell, leopard seal and Ross seals live in Antarctica.
Seals and sea lions live in the North Pacific Ocean between Asia and North America, and off the coast South America, Antarctica, Southwest Africa and South Australia... They can spend about two years in open ocean before returning to their breeding ground.
Some seals make caves in the snow. Others never leave the ice and pierce breathing holes in the ice.
What do seals eat?
Seals mainly prey on fish, but they also eat eels, squid, octopuses, and lobsters.
Leopard seals are capable of eating penguins and small seals.
The gray seal is capable of eating up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of food per day. He sometimes skips meals for several days in a row, and lives off the energy of stored fat. And often completely stops feeding - during the mating season does not feed for several weeks.
All pinnipeds - from true (earless) seals to eared seals (sea lions) and walruses (with odobenids tusks) - are carnivores. Their relationship is associated with dogs, coyotes, foxes, wolves, skunks, otters and bears.
How does Belki appear?
When mating season arrives, male seals will emit deep guttural sounds to attract the attention of the females. The male seal also calls out other males to a duel with the help of sounds.
Seals are very territorial animals when it comes to mating. They will fight for the right to mate, hit and bite each other. The winner gets the opportunity to mate with 50 females in their area.
The female's pregnancy lasts about 10 months. When they feel that it is time to give birth, some of them dig their nests in the sand, where they have cubs. Other seals lay their children directly on the iceberg, in the snow.
Squirrels are called seal puppies.
Seals and sea lions only have one puppy per year. Mother squirrels will be fed on the ground until they are covered with waterproof fur. This may take about 1 month.
Females will mate and become pregnant again as soon as her squirrel leaves the breast.
Males are not capable of mating until they reach the age of 8 years because they need big enough height and enough strength to win a fight for the right to mate.
Several other facts about seals
All pinnipeds - seals, sea lions and walruses - are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Most seals are not considered endangered according to the Red List The International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
However, there are a few exceptions.
The Caribbean seal was declared extinct in 2008.
- The Galapagos Cat and Monk Seal are both endangered.
- Some local groups such as gray seals in the Baltic Sea are also at risk.
- Northern fur seals and hooded seals are also vulnerable.
Northern seals, Baikal seals and Ursula seals are also vulnerable animals. They are being bred at the New England Aquarium in Boston.
The Crabeater seal, among the seal species, has the largest population in the world. It is estimated that there are up to 75 million individuals.
The Sea Elephant has what is called "smoker's blood" - it has the same amount of carbon monoxide in its blood as a person who smokes 40 or more cigarettes a day. Scientists believe that this high level blood gas protects them when they dive into the deep ocean levels.
Harp seals can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes.
The results of the Weddell Seals are even more impressive. Their record for staying underwater is 80 minutes. They only float to trap air when they find holes in the layers of ice over the ocean.
The Farallones Bay of California's National Marine Sanctuary is home to one-fifth of the world's seals. These marine mammals are believed to have found a safe haven within the sanctuary.
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