Interesting facts about pinnipeds. Harp seal: photos and interesting facts Eared seals interesting facts

In the broad sense of the word, all representatives of the order Pinnipeds can be considered seals, but usually this name refers to animals from the family of true seals. They are closely related to representatives of the eared seal family (fur seals and sea lions) and walruses. Distant relatives of seals are, on the one hand, terrestrial predators, and on the other, cetaceans, which have completely switched to an aquatic lifestyle. The diversity of seals is relatively small, there are about 20 species in total.

Common seal (Phoca vitulina).

The appearance of seals clearly indicates their aquatic lifestyle. At the same time, they did not completely lose contact with land like cetaceans. All types of seals are quite large animals, weighing from 40 kg (for seals) to 2.5 tons (for elephant seals). However, even animals of the same species differ greatly in weight different times years as they accumulate seasonal fat reserves. The body of seals is elongated and ridged at the same time, the contours of the body are streamlined, the neck is short and thick, the head is relatively small with a flattened skull. The limbs of the seals turned into flat flippers, and the hands and feet received greatest development, and the shoulder and hip girdles were shortened.

Common seal on land.

Typically, when moving on land, seals rely on their forelimbs and stomach, while their hind limbs drag along the ground. In water, the front flippers act as a rudder and are hardly used for paddling. This is significantly different from the method of locomotion of eared seals, which actively use all limbs to move both on land and under water. Real seals do not have ears, and the ear canal is closed by a special muscle during diving. Despite this, seals have good hearing. But the eyes of these animals, on the contrary, are large, but myopic. This structure of the visual organs is characteristic of aquatic mammals. Of all the senses, seals have the best developed sense of smell. These animals perfectly detect odors at a distance of 200-500 m! They also have tactile vibrissae (commonly called whiskers), which help navigate among underwater obstacles. In addition, some species of seals are capable of echolocation, with the help of which they determine the location of prey under water. True, their echolocating abilities are much less developed than those of dolphins and whales.

The "smiling" face of a leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx).

Like most aquatic animals, seals do not have external genitalia; more precisely, they are hidden in the folds of the body and are completely invisible from the outside. In addition, seals do not have sexual dimorphism - males and females look the same (with the exception of the hooded seal and sea ​​Elephant, the males of which have special “decorations” on their faces). The body of seals is covered with hard, short hair, which does not impede their movement in the water column. At the same time, seal fur is very thick and is highly valued in the fur trade. The seals' body is also protected from the cold by a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, which takes on the main thermoregulatory function. The body color of most species is dark - gray, brown; some species may have a speckled pattern or a contrasting color.

Leopard seal on the shore.

Seals are distributed very widely; in total, the ranges of different species cover the entire Earth. Seals reach their greatest diversity in the cold latitudes of the Arctic and Antarctic, but the monk seal, for example, lives in the Mediterranean. All types of seals are closely associated with water and live either on the coasts of seas and oceans, or on vast expanses of pack (perennial) ice.

A crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) dozes on a drifting iceberg fragment.

Several species of seals (Baikal and Caspian seals) live isolated in the internal lakes of continents (Baikal Island and the Caspian Sea, respectively). Real seals migrate short distances; they are not characterized by long migrations like fur seals, for example. Most often, seals form group aggregations - rookeries - on the shore or ice floe. Unlike other species of pinnipeds (fur seals, sea ​​lions, walruses) true seals do not form dense and numerous herds. They also have a much weaker herd instinct: for example, seals feed and rest independently of each other and only monitor the behavior of their fellow animals in case of danger. These animals do not quarrel with each other (except during the mating season); there have been cases when, during molting, seals scratched each other’s backs in a friendly manner, helping to get rid of old fur.

Seals bask on a coastal rock.

Seals on the shore are clumsy and helpless: they usually lie close to the water, from time to time diving into the wormwood for prey. In case of danger, they rush to dive, while moving with visible effort, but once in the water they swim quickly and easily. Seals are able to dive to great depths and stay under water for a long time. The record holder for this is the Weddell seal, which can stay underwater for 16 minutes, while diving to a depth of up to 500 m!

Seals feed on a variety of aquatic animals - fish, mollusks, large crustaceans. Different types They prefer to hunt different prey, for example, a leopard seal - penguins, a crabeater seal - crustaceans, etc.

A leopard seal caught a penguin.

All species of seals breed once a year. During the rut, skirmishes arise between males. Male hooded seals have a protuberance on their nose that inflates when the animal is excited. Puffing up their noses and roaring loudly, hooded seals compete for the attention of females. Elephant seals have a fleshy nose that looks like a short trunk; during clashes, angry males not only roar and puff out their noses, but also bite each other, causing serious wounds. Pregnancy in females lasts almost a year. Seals always give birth to only one, but large and developed pup.

In many seals, the young are covered with baby-like white fur, which is completely different from the coloring of the adults, which is why they are called pups.

Although the squirrels at first cannot accompany their mother in the water, they are well adapted to low temperatures and the first time is constantly spent on the ice. Babies grow quickly thanks to extremely fatty milk rich in protein.

On May 25, a regional children's and youth environmental holiday is celebrated - seal day. It was first held in 2003 in Irkutsk.

The holiday very quickly became popular in many regions of Russia, including Irkutsk region, the Republic of Buryatia and other regions of Siberia, and is included in the calendar of environmental dates. We collected 10 unique facts about this rare mammal.

The Baikal seal is one of three species of freshwater seals found nowhere else except this lake. The main rookery of the seal is located on the Ushkany Islands, where you can find a lot of food and there are practically no people who pose the main threat to these animals.

What is interesting and unique about the Baikal seal?

1. The seal is the only mammal of Lake Baikal. According to morphological and biological characteristics Baikal seal is close to the ringed seal, which lives in the seas of the Far North and Far East. There are also some signs of similarity between the seal and the Caspian seal.

2. It is unknown how the seal ended up in Baikal. Some researchers believe that she penetrated him at ice age from Arctic Ocean through the Yenisei-Angara river system simultaneously with the Baikal omul. Others believe that the entire family of true seals (Caspian, Baikal and ringed seals) initially appeared in large freshwater bodies of Eurasia and only then settled into the Caspian Sea, the Arctic Ocean and Lake Baikal. However, this mystery has not yet been solved.

3. The Baikal seal can accelerate underwater to a speed of 25 kilometers per hour. She is an unrivaled swimmer and can easily outrun danger at such speed.

4. The seal dives to a depth of 200 meters and remains under water for 20-25 minutes.

5. A seal can stop a pregnancy: no other animal on Earth can do this. In some cases, the embryo stops developing, but does not die or be destroyed, but simply falls into suspended animation, which lasts until the next mating season. And then the seal gives birth to two cubs at once.

© Ministry natural resources and ecology of the Russian Federation. Sergey Shaburov

© Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. Sergey Shaburov

6. Pregnancy of seals lasts 11 months. Females whelp in March-April. Fur seals white That's why they are called squirrels. This coloring allows them to remain almost invisible in the snow in the first weeks of life. With the transition to independent feeding on fish, the cubs molt, the fur gradually acquires a silver-gray color in two-three-month-olds, and in older and adult individuals it becomes brownish-brown.

7. The fat content of Baikal seal milk is 60%. The nutritional properties of milk help seals gain weight quickly.

8. Seals build their winter homes from under the ice. They swim to a suitable place, make holes - vents, scraping the ice with the claws of their forelimbs. As a result, their house is covered from the surface with a protective snow cap.

9. The Baikal seal is a very cautious, but inquisitive and intelligent animal. If she sees that there is not enough space in the rookery, then she begins to deliberately splash her flippers on the water, imitating the splash of oars, in order to scare away her relatives and settle down in the vacant place.

10. Seals live 55-56 years. Adult animals reach 1.6-1.7 meters in length and 150 kilograms in weight. Sexual maturity occurs in the fourth to sixth year of life. Females are able to bear fruit up to 40-45 years.

© Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. C. Elderberry

© Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. C. Elderberry

From whom should the Baikal seal be protected?

Huge losses of the Baikal seal were recorded in 1996, mainly due to licensed and poaching hunting, as well as chemical pollution of the lake.

“Today, the approximate number of Baikal seals ranges from 75 to 100 thousand heads. This is quite a lot, but there is no fishing now,” said Mikhail Kreindlin, a Greenpeace expert on specially protected natural areas.

Formally, the Baikal seal is still a commercial species and is not listed in the Red Book, but hunting it was banned in 1980. Until 2009, a quota for industrial catching of 50 animals was issued. Since the end of 2014, the quota has been issued only to research institutes.

“Currently, a decline in the number of seals has not been recorded, but the condition of Lake Baikal cannot but affect its inhabitants. For example, a recent drop in water level has led to the drying out of the spawning grounds of fish - the main food for seals. There are also threats that have not yet been realized, for example, the construction of the Shuren hydroelectric station on the Selenga River - largest tributary lakes, which can also lead to severe shallowing and will indirectly threaten the seal too,” noted Mikhail Kreindlin.

Seals are predatory animals adapted to life in the sea. Most species are distributed in cold and temperate seas of both hemispheres. They are also found in some inland reservoirs, for example, in lakes Baikal and Ladoga. To protect against the cold, seals have a thick layer of fat under their skin. Seals trace their ancestry back to terrestrial predators and, due to their differences, constitute a separate order of pinnipeds, since their hind legs have turned into flippers. There are about 30 different species of pinnipeds. We have already examined the family of eared seals using the example of fur seals and lions. The family of true seals is distinguished by the structure of their hind flippers, the presence of claws on them and the shape of their ears - they lack external shells. Since the rear flippers of animals do not bend at the heel joint, they cannot serve as 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 tevyak (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 depths of up to 500 m and stay under water for up to 40 minutes. However, these figures concern the record holder - the Weddell seal, which still prefers to hunt not so deep - no deeper than 335-250 m. Other seals look for food at even shallower depths.

The gray or long-faced seal (sometimes also called the tevyak) got its name for its strongly elongated muzzle, without a ledge in the area of ​​​​the bridge of the nose. It lives in the Western Atlantic, off the Labrador Peninsula, is regularly found off the coast of Iceland, and sometimes even enters the Baltic Sea.

The harp seal, or coot, inhabits northern latitudes Atlantic and partly Arctic Ocean.

Probably the most beautiful representatives of the family can be called striped seals. Thus, the lionfish (Histriophoca fasciata) is dark brown or black. Against this background there are white stripes 10-12 cm wide. One stripe encircles the body in a ring, the other covers the sacrum area, 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 true seals are the crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) (50 million), the ringed seal, or as it is also called 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 most common species there is the common seal. For example, in the shallow waters of the North Sea, small herds of seals lie on sandbanks. In other countries they are placed on pebbles or rocky shores. Like many other marine animals, the seal suffers greatly from sea pollution. It is all the more important for their protection not to disturb them on the shore.

Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossi) - very rare view, living in the most inaccessible southern Antarctic waters. Externally, it is easy to distinguish from other Antarctic species of pinnipeds. Its body is short and relatively thick, but what is most characteristic is its very thick, folded neck, into which it can almost completely retract its head. This seal also has front flippers that are almost the same length as the back flippers. The subcutaneous fat layer is very developed, which further complicates the animal’s movement on land, making it terribly clumsy.

The Ross seal is capable of producing loud melodic sounds, the nature of which is unknown. It is not afraid of people; there have been cases when people came close to a 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 a predominantly solitary lifestyle; only during the breeding season are small groups of seals sometimes observed. The previously widespread belief that a leopard seal can attack a person is erroneous. Only in case of pursuit can this animal rush at the hunter.

Common seal (Phoca vitulina)

Seals - marine mammals animals of two families: sea lions (eared seals) and true seals. Today, there are 33 species of seals in the world: the Harp seal, the Striped seal (lionfish), the ringed seal (akiba), the spotted seal (larga), the bearded seal, the white-bellied seal, the Baikal seal, the Caspian seal, the monk seal and others. Some seals, such as elephant seals, can be up to 4 meters long and weigh up to 3.5 tons!

Of course, on land, seals look clumsy, sometimes even helpless. To move, they use their front paws (flippers) and torso, while their hind limbs are not used on the shore. But under water, seals are excellent swimmers. The traditional habitats of these animals are coastal zones of northern and southern latitudes.

Interesting features of seals

1. Of all the senses, seals have the most developed sense of smell. These animals can smell up to 500 meters away. But their eyesight is very poor.
2. Interestingly, most species of seals do not have external sexual differences, that is, males and females look the same, and the genitals are hidden in fat folds.
3. In water, seals navigate using whiskers (vibrissae) and echolocation (some species of seals). It should be noted that echolocation in these animals is not as highly developed as in dolphins and whales.
4. Seals are very trainable; this interesting feature of seals is used in circuses around the world. In addition, they, along with dolphins, have been serving in the Russian and US Navy for 100 years to search for underwater mines. The famous trainer Vladimir Durov was the first to teach seals to look for mines back in 1915. They trained 20 animals, but unfortunately they were poisoned, presumably by German spies.
5. The seal can withstand frost down to - 80 degrees. C. Fur and a fairly thick layer of subcutaneous fat help him stay warm.
6. Polar bears, killer whales, sharks, and human poachers pose a particular danger to seals. Interestingly, in Arctic latitudes, seals are afraid to sleep on ice so as not to become prey polar bear, so they sleep in the water.
   Seals sleep by floating vertically at the surface of the water, rising to breathe through their nostrils. But in the water they often become victims of the Greenland polar shark, which, unlike a seal, swims very slowly, so it can only attack a sleeping seal. For this reason, both in water and on ice, seals sleep very lightly, periodically waking up and looking around.
7. For the first three weeks after the birth of a baby seal, the mother feeds it with milk and does not eat anything. The baby seal (squirrel) is an object of the fur trade. Squirrels, unlike adult seals, have especially high-quality and thick fur, which is used in the fashion industry. Hunting for squirrels is disgustingly simple - the cubs are simply beaten with sticks in front of the helpless mother.

   Baby seal.
   

8. Not all seals are harmless and helpless. So one of the species of real seals - the Leopard Sea, which has a spotted color, is dangerous predator. It is the only member of the seal family that can hunt warm-blooded animals, such as penguins and young seals.
   On July 22, 2003, a woman, a scientist from Great Britain, Kirsty Margot Brown, became the victim of a leopard seal. As part of an Antarctic expedition, a woman was making another dive into the ocean, and at that moment she was attacked by a Leopard Seal. The seal did not allow her to swim out and she suffocated.

   Leopard seal caught a penguin

   
   
9. Most seals feed on fish, shellfish and crustaceans. At the same time, they do not chew food, but swallow it whole or tear it into pieces.
10. Pebbles and even fist-sized stones are often found in seals' stomachs. There are several explanations for this interesting feature seals. So, some scientists believe that in this way seals load themselves with ballast in order to sink to the bottom faster. Another version suggests that the stones are needed to improve digestion. For example, in some crocodiles, stones in the stomach grind food. In this way, seals can grind the shells and shells of mollusks and crustaceans in the stomach.
    Seals often swallow pebbles when they have not eaten for a long time, for example during the molting period. Perhaps in this way they protect the stomach from atrophy, that is, they force it to work.
    IN in some cases Up to 11 kilograms of stones were found in the seal's stomach.
11. The milk of a female seal is the fattest of all mammals - over 50 percent fat, it is 12 times fatter than cow's and is somewhat reminiscent of mayonnaise. The milk of a female seal is so nutritious that the whites gain weight right before our eyes. They gain weight from one and a half to 3 kilograms per day, and during the entire feeding period they increase their weight by 3 to 5 times. Various species of seals nurse their pups for 3 to 6 weeks and then keep them forever. For some time, the squirrel lives on fat reserves, and then it begins to swim and hunt.
12. The seal's pulse rate is 55-120 beats per minute, that is, it roughly corresponds to the human heartbeat, but under water the pulse slows down to 20-50 beats per minute. Some species of seals can stay under water for up to 2 hours, as they have an increased concentration of hemoglobin and myoglobin in the blood, which are involved in storing oxygen.
13. Seals spend most of their lives in the water, but they mate, give birth to pups, and care for them always on the shore.
14. The lifespan of seals reaches 35 years, and females, as a rule, live longer than males.

1. Representatives of 2 families are combined under the name seals aquatic mammals, belonging to the order of pinnipeds - true seals and eared seals.

And the order of pinnipeds contains 3 families: true seals, eared seals (for example, seals and sea lions) and walruses.

2. Seals are thought to have evolved from land-dwelling, laying, or otter-like ancestors.

3. Latin name seal is translated into our language as “small guinea pig"(however, not quite small).

4. There are about 33 species of seals in total. Seals are found in most waters of the world, mainly in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as in some areas of the tropics.

5. According to the zoological classification, there are 24 species of true seals. The most interesting of them: monk seal, elephant seal, Ross seal, crabeater seal, leopard seal, Weddell seal, hooded seal, common seal, long-faced seal, harp seal, striped seal, ringed seal.

harbor seal

6. The common seal has four subspecies (depending on their habitats.) They live throughout the northern Arctic hemisphere: on the shores of North America, Scandinavia, and in the northern part of Russia.

7. Some subspecies of the common seal are endangered due to poaching.

8. The lifespan of seals depends on whether they are male or female. Females live longer than males, on average their lifespan is 35 years; males, alas, live on average 10 years less - 25 years.

9. The habitat of seals is very wide, we can say that it is the entire globe. True, considering sea ​​image life of seals, they all live on the coasts of seas and oceans. Most of the species of these animals live in the cold latitudes of the Arctic and Antarctic, where, thanks to subcutaneous fat, they can easily withstand the cold there.

10. There are also seals, such as the monk seal, that live in the warm Mediterranean. Also, several species of seals, such as the Baikal seal, live in the inland lakes of the continents.

harp seal

11. The harp seal is one of the northern seals that lives on the coast of Greenland. They differ from other species of seals in their characteristic coloring: only they have silver-gray fur, a black head, and a black horseshoe-shaped line that stretches from the shoulders on both sides.

12. The harp seal is relatively small - its body length is 170-180 cm, weight - 120-140 kilograms.

13. With the exception of a few species, seals do not have sexual dimorphism, that is, males and females look the same (only the hooded seal and elephant seal have a special “decoration” on their face). As for the genital organs, in seals, like many other aquatic mammals, they are hidden in the folds of the skin and are not visible.

14. The appearance of the seal is due to their aquatic lifestyle. On the one hand, flippers, which give the name to the whole species - “pinnipeds”, turn these clumsy land-based hulks into excellent swimmers. On the other hand, seals, unlike whales and dolphins, have not lost their connection with land, where they also spend a lot of time.

15. A sea lion can stay underwater for up to 2 hours at a depth of 1500 meters. And fur seals spend more than six months in the ocean in search of food.

Leopard seal

16. The leopard seal is so named due to its spotted skin and predatory behavior, among seals this species is considered the most dangerous and aggressive. In particular, leopard seals do not hesitate to attack smaller seals of other species, but their favorite delicacy is penguins.

17. 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 kilograms. It lives along the entire coast of Antarctica.

18. Seals are very clumsy and slow on land, because when moving they rely on their forelimbs and stomach, while their hind limbs simply drag along the ground. Moreover, considering 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; there is no trace of the slowness and clumsiness that is characteristic of them on land - in the water they are able to reach speeds of up to 25 kilometers per hour. In addition, seals are excellent divers, capable of diving up to 600 meters deep.

19. True, seals can spend no more than 10 minutes under water, during which time the supply of oxygen, which is in a special air sac (under the seal’s skin), runs out and they have to return to land again.

20. The shape of the seal’s body is elongated and streamlined, the neck is short and thick, it is crowned by the seal’s head, which is relatively small in size, but has a flattened cranium. Seal flippers have very developed hands and feet.

hooded seal

21. The hooded seal lives in the Arctic, mainly on the coast of North America and Greenland. It differs from other seals in its spotted coloring.

22. The body of a seal is covered with short and stiff hair, which, on the one hand, does not impede their movement under water, and on the other, protects its owner from the cold. Also, seals are protected from the cold by the reserves of subcutaneous fat accumulated by 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. Most seal species are gray or brown in color; some species have a mottled pattern.

23. Seals are predators, and their main source of food is various marine life: fish, shellfish, crayfish, crabs. Such large seals, such as the leopard seal, will not mind eating penguins.

24. The age of a dead seal can be determined by the number of circles at the base of its fangs.

25. Seals, like people, can cry, however, unlike us, they do not have lacrimal glands.

Weddell seal

26. The Weddell seal is named after the British navigator Sir James Weddell, who was the commander of the research expedition to the Weddell Sea, during which this type of seal was first discovered by Europeans.

27. Among other seals, the Weddell seal stands out for its remarkable ability to dive and stay under water - while many other seals can stay in the depths of the sea for no more than 10 minutes, this seal can swim for an hour. This type of seal also lives in Antarctica.

28. Although seals form rookeries on the shores of seas and oceans, unlike other pinnipeds, they are much less characterized by the herd instinct. For example, they feed and rest separately, and only in case of danger they monitor the behavior of their brothers.

29. Seals are also very peace-loving creatures; they practically do not quarrel among themselves, 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.

30. On the shore, seals are clumsy and slow, so in rookeries they deliberately position themselves closer to the water so that in case of danger they can dive into the water surface. Also, from time to time they simply dive into the water for prey and then we move on to the next point.

Long-faced seal

31. The long-faced seal is named for its long snout, even for a seal. The body length of the long-faced seal is 2.5 meters and weighs up to 300 kilograms. It lives in the North Atlantic: on the coasts of Greenland, Scandinavia and Iceland.

32. The Ross seal is named after the English explorer James Ross. This is a relatively small Antarctic seal, its body length is about 2 meters and weighs 200 kilograms. It has a very thick folded neck, in which it can easily hide its head. This type of seal is little studied because it lives in remote areas of Antarctica.

Baby seal - squirrel

33. Seals breed, all types, only once a year. Mating season They usually have it at the end of summer. During this period, clashes are possible between competing males seeking the attention of one female. She, as expected, will eventually choose the strongest male for mating.

34.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. Small seal pups have white skin, which is why they are also called pups. They cannot accompany their mother in the water, so they spend most of their time on the shore or on a drifting ice floe.

35. 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.

Striped seal

36. The striped seal is distinguished from other seals by its unusual striped coloration of white and black colors. Lives in the Berengov, Okhotsk and Chukchi Seas. The body length of the striped seal is 150-190 centimeters, weight – 70-90 kilograms.

37. The eyes of seals, although big size However, their vision is not very well developed (as is the case with all aquatic mammals), all seals are myopic

38. But poor eyesight is perfectly compensated by good hearing and especially sense of smell, for example, seals are able to detect odors at a distance of 300-500 meters.

39.Seals also have so-called tactile whiskers (they are also called “whiskers”), with the help of which they navigate among underwater obstacles.

40. It is also worth noting that some types of seals have the ability to echolocation, although it is much less developed in them than in whales and dolphins.

Seal

41. The seal is the smallest species of seal; its body length is on average 1.5 meters and weighs up to 100 kilograms. But this is on average, the smallest among the seal subspecies - Ladoga seal, living in Lake Ladoga itself, has a body length of no more than 135 cm and a weight of 40 kilograms.

42. In general, seals live in cold and temperate waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, as well as in large lakes and inland seas. Depending on their habitat, subspecies are distinguished such as the Caspian seal, the Baikal seal, and the Ladoga seal.

Sea Elephant

43. As you can guess from the name, the elephant seal is the most great view seals, its length can reach up to 6.5 meters and weighs 2.5 tons. Also, some properties with elephants are given not only big sizes, but also the presence of a hot-shaped nose in male elephant seals.

44.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.

45. Seals can become prey for other larger marine predators: sharks, killer whales. Also, danger can await Arctic seals on the shore in the form of polar bears and people (for example, the Chukchi have been hunting seals since ancient times).

Crabeater seals

46. ​​The crabeater seal, so named for its gastronomic addiction to crabs, is also the most numerous seal in the world - according to various estimates, its number ranges from 7 to 40 million individuals. It has average dimensions for seals - body length - 2.2-2.6 meters, weight - 200-300 kilograms, it has a long narrow muzzle.

47.These seals live in Antarctica and its surroundings southern seas, they often like to set up their rookeries on ice floes, swimming with them.

Monk Seal

48. The monk seal is perhaps the most heat-loving among seals, as it prefers the cold Arctic and Antarctic colds warm waters Mediterranean, Hawaiian and Caribbean Islands where he actually lives. Also, unlike other seals, it has a well-developed posterior section. lower jaw. The body length of the monk seal is 2-3 meters and weighs 250 kilograms.

49 The monk seal has a gray-brown color and a light belly, which is why it received its second name - the white-bellied seal. In the past, monk seals also 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 decreased significantly, by this moment All subspecies of the monk seal are listed in the Red Book.

50. 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 found only in whales.