Where do seals live. Seal habitats. The nature and lifestyle of the Baikal seal

The seal lives in the water. The seal has no gills. The question is how does the seal breathe in winter under the ice?

As a child, I thought that seals swim in warm seas for the winter. Then I found out that all winter long they maintain vent holes through which they emerge to breathe. Chukchi and Eskimos (usually always, now very rarely) went to sea with specially trained dogs to look for these same holes-vents for hunting seals.

2.

It is extremely difficult to see such a hole, despite the fact that the hole itself is 50 cm in diameter and more. A snow-ice dome rises above the hole, which reliably hides the exit from both animals and from frost and snow. A seal is also found in the Anadyr estuary. But that’s what my dog ​​Loki turned out to be, I found out only this Sunday, when I went skiing to Tolstoy Cape. The dog found four holes-vents while we reached the cape. The hole is so well camouflaged that you can walk right next to it, or even not notice it. The seal's lair emits a smell that oozes through a small hole in the "dome" above the hole. And it doesn't smell in the hole fresh cucumbers, as near the holes of the Anadyr fishermen.

3. Dome on the hole

4. Found a hole!

5. In some vents, seals arrange birth beds. Under the snow, they dig out the whole labyrinths of tunnels.

6. Inside the hole

7.

8. Literally a few meters from the hole there is a snowmobile track

Real sea ​​bump, the seal is one of the amazing representatives of the animal world of our planet, connecting both marine and terrestrial lifestyles. In a broad sense, seals mean all representatives of the order of pinnipeds, mammals, in which, in the course of evolutionary transformations, instead of traditional paws, real flippers have developed. But usually seals 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 flippers, which gave the name to the whole species - "pinnipeds", turn these clumsy ground lumps into excellent swimmers. On the other hand, seals, unlike whales and dolphins, have not lost their connection with the land, where everyone also spends a lot of time.

All seals are rather large animals. So the mass of a seal, depending on the species, ranges from 40 kg (for seals) to 2.5 tons (for sea ones). Also, the body length of a seal varies from 1.25 meters for the seal - the smallest among the family of true seals, then 6.5 meters for the elephant seal, whose name eloquently speaks of 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 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. The 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. The reserves of subcutaneous fat accumulated by seals for the winter also protect seals from the cold. In fact, this subcutaneous fat of seals performs a thermoregulatory function, allowing animals to easily endure the harsh Arctic and Antarctic cold. The coloration of most species of seals is gray or brown, some species have a mottled 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 true, because when moving, seals rely on their forelimbs and stomach, while their hind limbs simply drag 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, 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 km per hour. In addition, seals are excellent divers, capable of diving up to 600 m deep.

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

The eyes of seals, although larger, nevertheless, their vision is not very well developed (as, indeed, in all aquatic mammals), all seals are myopic. But poor eyesight is perfectly compensated by good hearing and especially sense of smell, so seals are able to pick up smells at a distance of 300-500 meters. Seals also have so-called tactile whiskers (they are also called “whiskers”) with which they navigate among underwater obstacles. It is also worth noting that some species of seals have the ability to echolocation, although it is much less developed in them than in whales and dolphins.

In seals, with the exception of a few species, there is no sexual dimorphism, that is, males and females look the same (only in the hooded seal and elephant seal, males have a special “decoration” on the muzzle). As for the reproductive organs, 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, considering marine image life of seals, they all live on the coasts of the seas and oceans. Most species of these animals live in the cold latitudes of the Arctic and Antarctic, where, thanks to subcutaneous fat, they perfectly tolerate the local cold, but there are also such 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.

How long do seals live

The life expectancy of seals depends on whether it is a male or a female, females live longer than males, on average, their lifespan is 35 years, alas, males live an average of 10 years less - 25 years.

Seals lifestyle

Seals, although they form group concentrations - the so-called rookeries on the shores of the seas and oceans, unlike other pinnipeds, they are much less characterized by a herd instinct. 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 among themselves, with the exception, of course, of the mating season, when several males achieve one female, in such a situation even peaceful seals can be furious.

As we wrote above, on the shore, seals are clumsy and slow, therefore, on 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 then we move on to the next point.

What does a seal eat

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

Enemies of seals

In turn, the seals themselves can become the prey of other larger marine predators: sharks, killer whales. Also, danger can await Arctic seals on the shore in the form of whites and people (for example, the Chukchi hunt seals since ancient times).

Types of seals, photos and names

According to the zoological classification, there are 24 species of true seals, we will describe the most interesting of them.

This species of seal is perhaps the most thermophilic among seals, as it prefers cold Arctic and Antarctic cold. warm waters Mediterranean, Hawaiian and Caribbean where it actually lives. Also, unlike other seals, it has a well-developed rear section. mandible. The body length of the monk seal is 2-3 meters and weighs 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, monks also lived in the Black Sea, and they could be found on Black Sea coast our country, but Lately the population of these seals has been significantly reduced, by this moment all subspecies of the monk seal are listed in.

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 with a weight of 2.5 tons. Also, some property with elephants gives not only big sizes, but also the presence of a hoto-shaped nose in male elephant seals. Depending on the habitat, elephant seals are divided into two subspecies: the northern elephant seal lives on the coast 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. It has a very thick neck in folds, in which it may well hide its head. Little studied, because it lives in remote areas of Antarctica.

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 is from 7 to 40 million individuals. It has medium dimensions for seals - body length - 2.2-2.6 meters, weight - 200-300 kg, long narrow muzzle. These seals live in Antarctica and washing it south seas, often they like to arrange their rookeries on ice floes, swimming with them.

It is so named due to its spotted skin and predatory behavior, among seals this species is considered the most dangerous and aggressive. In particular, sea leopards do not disdain to attack smaller seals of other species, but penguins are their favorite delicacy. The size of the sea leopard is larger than that of many other species of seals, inferior only to sea ​​elephant, the length of his body can reach up to 4 meters with a weight of 600 kg. It lives along the coast of Antarctica.

It is named after another Englishman - the British navigator Sir James Weddell, who was the 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 ability to dive and stay under water - while many other seals can be in the depths of the sea for no more than 10 minutes, this seal can swim for an hour. Also lives in Antarctica.

Unlike its counterparts 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 habitats), lives throughout the northern Arctic hemisphere: on the shores of North America, Scandinavia, in the northern part of Russia. Some subspecies of the harbor seal are endangered due to their poaching.

The long-faced seal is so named because of its length, as even for seals, the muzzle. The body length of the long-faced seal is 2.5 meters and weighs up to 300 kg. It lives in the North Atlantic: on the coast of Greenland, Scandinavia and Iceland.

Another of the northern seals, living on the coast of Greenland itself. They differ from other types of seals in their characteristic coloration: only they have a silver-gray coat, a black head, and a black horseshoe-shaped line that stretches from the shoulders on both sides. harp seal relatively small - its body length is 170-180 cm, weight - 120-140 kg.

It differs from other seals in its unusual striped coloration of white and black flowers. Inhabits the Bering, Okhotsk and Chukchi Seas. The body length of a striped seal is 150-190 cm, weight - 70-90 kg.

Seal

The seal is the smallest species of seal, its average body length is 1.5 meters and weighs up to 100 kg. But this is, on average, the smallest among the subspecies of seals - Ladoga seal, which lives in Lake Ladoga proper, has a body length of no more than 135 cm and a weight of 40 kg. 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 the habitat, such subspecies as the Caspian seal, the Baikal seal, the Ladoga seal are distinguished.

seal breeding

Seals breed, and all species, only once a year. mating season they usually come at the end of summer. During this period, skirmishes between competing males seeking the attention of one female are possible. 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 already a fully developed and adapted seal. Baby seals have white skin, so 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. Very quickly fed on fatty mother's milk, rich in proteins, they begin to grow up 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 fangs.
• The mother's milk of a female seal is the fattest in its composition (fat content in it exceeds 50%), the same fatty milk is found 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, but unlike us, they do not have lacrimal glands.

seal, video

And finally, educational documentary about our today's heroes - "The mystery of the rookeries of the Caspian seal."

This article is available in English - .

The average body length of an adult seal is 165 cm (from the end of the nose to the end of the hind flippers). Weight from 50 to 130 kg, females are larger than males. Linear growth in seals ends by the age of 17–19, and weight growth continues for a number of years and is possible until the end of life. Live up to 55 years.

In a calm environment, the speed of movement under water does not exceed 7-8 km / h. Max Speed 20−25 km/h. But that's how fast she swims when she's out of danger. On a solid substrate, the seal moves rather slowly, flipping with flippers and tail. In case of danger, he goes to the races.

According to fishermen, seals have been caught in nets at depths of up to 200 m, but, as a rule, they dive to much shallower depths. The seal finds food in a well-lit area (25-30 m) and, apparently, it does not need to dive deep. The seal is capable of diving up to 400 m, and can withstand a pressure of 21 atm. Under experimental conditions (in a large aquarium), when it was kept under water, the seal was there for up to 65 minutes. (record time). In nature, it happens under water for up to 20-25 minutes. - this is enough for her to get food or get away from danger.

area

Evolution

Baikal seal according to modern classification, it belongs to the family of true seals (Phocidae), genus Pusa. Researchers (in particular, K. K. Chapsky, a well-known specialist in pinnipeds in Russia and abroad) believe that the Baikal seal came from a common ancestor with the northern ringed seal. At the same time, the parental forms of these two species are later than the Caspian seal.

Lifestyle

Nutrition

The seal is fed by non-commercial fish (golomyanka, Baikal goby). Under experimental conditions (in an aquarium), the daily diet of seals was from 3 to 5 kg of fish. For a year, an adult seal eats up to 1 ton of fish. The main food of the seal is golomyanka-goby fish. Omul is caught in the food of the seal by chance and in very small quantities, no more than 1-2% of the daily diet.

reproduction

By the age of 3-4, seals become sexually mature. Pregnancy lasts 11 months, of which the first 3-5 lasts embryonic diapause.

young growth

The seal gives birth to cubs in a specially prepared snow den. Most of the seals are born in mid-March. Usually a seal gives birth to one, rarely two cubs. Newborn weight up to 4 kg. The skin of the cubs is silver or silver-gray. For about 4-6 weeks, the cub spends exclusively inside the den, feeding on mother's milk. By the time the lair collapses, they have almost completely shed. The mother takes care of the baby, leaving only for the time of hunting. In her presence, the temperature inside the lair reaches +5 °C, while outside there are frosts of -15 ... -20 °C.

Wintering

On ice in lairs under snow, often in hummocky areas of Lake Baikal.

When the lake is ice-bound, the seal can breathe only through vents - vents - spare holes in the ice. The seal makes air by raking the ice from below with the claws of the forelimbs. Around her lair there are up to a dozen or more auxiliary vents, which can be tens or even hundreds of meters away from the main one. The airways are usually round in shape. The size of the auxiliary vents is 10-15 cm (enough to stick your nose above the water surface), and the main vent is up to 40-50 cm. From the bottom, the vents have the shape of an inverted funnel - they expand significantly downward. Interestingly, the ability to make produkh is an innate instinct. In the experimental aquarium for the rest of the seal on the water surface, a small floating platform made of 5 cm foam was installed, and the rest of the aquarium - with open water. Young seals of a month and two months of age made holes in the foam, raking it with their claws from below, put their nose out and breathed into the air, although there was open water nearby. "Saturated" with air, they again went under the water. It should be noted that seals were caught at a week or two weeks of age, when they were still feeding on their mother's milk. I had to feed them with condensed milk through a nipple from a bottle, like children. They did not swim in the water then and were afraid of the water. And when they grew up, they showed what they are capable of.

Dream

According to observations, the seal sleeps in the water, as it is immobilized for quite a long time, probably as long as there is enough oxygen in the blood. During the sleep of the seal, scuba divers swam close to it, touched it and even turned it over, but the animal continued to sleep.

Ecology

Nerpa - peak in the food chain in the Baikal ecosystem. The only source of danger is man.

The appearance of seals in Baikal

Until now, among scientists there is no single point of view on how this animal got into Baikal. Most researchers adhere to the point of view of I. D. Chersky that the seal entered Baikal from the Arctic Ocean through the Yenisei-Angara river system in the Ice Age, simultaneously with the Baikal omul. Other scientists do not rule out the possibility of its penetration along the Lena, which is believed to have had a runoff from Baikal.

The first description of the seal (Baikal Seal)

It is mentioned in the reports of the first explorers who came here in the first half of the 17th century. Scientific Description first made during the work of the 2nd Kamchatka, or Great Northern, expedition led by V. Bering. As part of this expedition, a detachment worked on Baikal under the leadership of I. G. Gmelin, who comprehensively studied the nature of the lake and its environs and described the seal.

Did the seal live in the Baunt lakes?

According to legend local residents, seals quite recently (one or two centuries ago) were found in Baunt lakes (Baunt lakes are connected with the Vitim river basin). It is believed that the seal got there along the Lena and Vitim. Some naturalists believe that the seal came to the Baunt Lakes from Baikal and that these lakes were allegedly connected with it. However, reliable data confirming this or that version has not yet been received.

seal population

According to the staff of the Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, there are currently about 100 thousand heads. Counting is being done different ways. The fastest, but less reliable - visually from an aircraft that flies along a certain route grid. The census takers look out the window and mark each observed lair or take aerial photographs of the routes and count the lairs along them. And then they are already recalculated from a unit area to the entire water area of ​​the lake. The second way is laying around Baikal about 100 accounting sites 1.5 × 1.5 km each. They go around on a motorcycle or go around on foot on the ice and count all the lairs that are found on the sites. Then the recalculation is carried out for the entire water area of ​​the lake. And finally, the route method. On two or three motorcycles, a group of accountants makes routes across Lake Baikal at a certain distance from each other, sufficient to see all the dens encountered from a motorcycle. IN last years the most accurate (maximum statistical error of 10%) is used - areal - registration of seals. The largest age of seals in Baikal, determined by an employee of the Limnological Institute V. D. Pastukhov, is 56 years for females and 52 years for males. At the age of 3 - 6 years, it is capable of mating, it brings offspring at the age of 4 - 7 years. Males reach sexual maturity a year or two later. A seal's pregnancy lasts 11 months. It begins with embryonic diapause - a delay in the development of the embryo in the womb of the female for 3 - 3.5 months. During her life, the female can probably bring up to two dozen or more cubs, given that she is capable of bringing offspring up to the age of 40. Females usually mate annually. However, annually up to 10–20% of females different reasons remain barren. This period stretches for more than a month - from the end of February to the beginning of April. Most of the seals appear in mid-March. They are born on ice, in a snow lair. In the first period, while feeding on mother's milk, they do not dive into the water, but prefer to lie down in the den.

fishing

The basis of the trade of the Baikal seal is valuable fur. Fat, meat and internal organs animals are used to a limited extent by the local population. Options are being considered rational use Baikal seal in the food industry

St. John's hunting goes mainly on cubs after the first molt.

(lat. Pusa sibirica) is the only seal species in the world that lives in fresh water. It lives in Lake Baikal, especially widely in its northern and middle parts. The size of males reaches a length of 1.8 m and a weight of 130-150 kg; females are smaller; can live up to 55 years. The seal gives birth to cubs on the shore, in a snowy lair. Most of the seals are born in mid-March. Cubs have fur white color, which allows them to be invisible in the snow in the first weeks of life.
In June, on the shores of the Ushkany Islands, you can see especially many seals. At sunset, the seals begin a massive movement towards the islands. These animals are curious and sometimes swim up to drifting ships with the engine turned off, staying nearby for a long time and constantly emerging from the water.

seal classification

The Baikal seal, according to modern classification, belongs to the family of true seals (Phocidae), the genus Pusa. Researchers (in particular, K.K. Chapsky, a well-known specialist in pinnipeds in Russia and abroad) believe that the Baikal seal descended from a common ancestor with the northern ringed seal. At the same time, the parental forms of these two species are later than the Caspian seal.
The appearance of seals in Baikal
Until now, among scientists there is no single point of view on how this animal got into Baikal. Most researchers adhere to the point of view of I. D. Chersky that the seal entered Baikal from Arctic Ocean through the Yenisei-Angara river system in ice age, simultaneously with the Baikal omul. Other scientists do not exclude the possibility of its penetration along the Lena, into which, as they suggest, there was a runoff from Baikal.

The first description of the seal

It is mentioned in the reports of the first explorers who came here in the first half of the 17th century. A scientific description was first made during the work of the 2nd Kamchatka, or Great Northern, Expedition led by V. Bering. As part of this expedition, a detachment worked on Baikal under the leadership of I. G. Gmelin, who studied the nature of the lake and its environs in many ways and described the seal.
Did the seal live in the Baunt lakes?
According to the legend of local residents, seals quite recently (one or two centuries ago) met in the Baunt lakes (the Baunt lakes are connected with the Vitim river basin). It is believed that the seal got there along the Lena and Vitim. Some naturalists believe that the seal came to the Baunt Lakes from Baikal and that these lakes were allegedly connected with it. However, reliable data confirming this or that version has not yet been received.

Nutrition

The seal is fed by non-commercial fish (golomyanka, Baikal goby). Under experimental conditions (in an aquarium), the daily diet of seals was from 3 to 5 kg of fish. For a year, an adult seal eats up to 1 ton of fish. The main food of the seal is golomyanka-goby fish. Omul is caught in the food of the seal by chance and in very small quantities, no more than 1? 2% of the daily diet. Omul, as well as grayling and whitefish, is an energetic and swift fish, the seal simply cannot catch up with it.

Baikal seal population

According to the staff of the Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, there are currently about 60 thousand heads. The calculation is carried out in different ways. The fastest, but less reliable - visually from an aircraft that flies along a certain route grid. The census takers look out the window and mark each observed lair or take aerial photographs of the routes and count the lairs along them. And then they are already recalculated from a unit area to the entire water area of ​​the lake. The second way is laying around Baikal about 100 accounting sites 1.5x1.5 km each. They go around on a motorcycle or go around on foot on the ice and count all the lairs that are found on the sites. Then the recalculation is carried out for the entire water area of ​​the lake. And finally, the route method. On two or three motorcycles, a group of accountants makes routes across Lake Baikal at a certain distance from each other, sufficient to see all the dens encountered from a motorcycle. In recent years, the most accurate (maximum statistical error of 10%) has been used - areal - registration of seals. The largest age of seals in Baikal, determined by an employee of the Limnological Institute V. D. Pastukhov, is 56 years for females and 52 years for males. At age 3? 6 years old is capable of mating, offspring brings at the age of 4? 7 years. Males reach sexual maturity a year or two later. A seal's pregnancy lasts 11 months. It begins with embryonic diapause - a delay in the development of the embryo in the womb of the female by 3? 3.5 months. During her life, the female can probably bring up to two dozen or more cubs, given that she is capable of bringing offspring up to the age of 40. Females usually mate annually. However, annually up to 10? 20% of females remain barren for various reasons. This period stretches for more than a month - from the end of February to the beginning of April. Most of the seals appear in mid-March. They are born on ice, in a snow lair. In the first period, while feeding on mother's milk, they do not dive into the water, but prefer to lie down in the den.
Usually a seal gives birth to one, rarely two cubs. Newborn weight up to 4 kg. The cubs have white fur - this is their protective coloration. It allows them in the first weeks of life, while they feed on mother's milk, to remain almost invisible in the snow. With the transition to self-feeding by fish, seals molt, the fur gradually changes color to silver-gray in 2-3-month-olds, and then to brown-brown in older and adult individuals.
A baby seal is called a hubunk (Buryat x u b u n - cub wild beast). For the first time, a molted animal is called a kumatkan. St. John's slaughter goes mainly on kumatkans. Average weight seals in Baikal weigh about 50 kg, the maximum weight of males is 130-150 kg, the length is 1.7? 1.8 m. Females are smaller in size - 1.3? 1.6 m and up to 110 kg. Linear growth ends in seals by 17? 19 years, and weight continues for a number of years and is possible until the end of life.

Nerpa in numbers

Max speed 20? 25 km/h. But that's how fast she swims when she's out of danger. In a calm environment, it swims much more slowly - probably 10? 15 km/h.
According to fishermen, seals have been caught in nets at depths of up to 200 m, but, as a rule, they dive to much shallower depths. The seal finds food in a well-lit area (25 - 30 m) and, apparently, it does not need to dive deep. The seal is capable of diving up to 200 m, and can withstand a pressure of 21 atm.
According to observations, the seal sleeps in the water, as it is immobilized for quite a long time, probably as long as there is enough oxygen in the blood. During the sleep of the seal, scuba divers swam close to it, touched it and even turned it over, but the animal continued to sleep.
Under experimental conditions (in a large aquarium), when it was kept under water, the seal was there for up to 65 minutes. (record time). In nature, it happens under water up to 20? 25 minutes is enough for her to get food or get away from danger.

seal wintering

On ice in lairs under snow, often in hummocky areas of Lake Baikal.
When the lake is ice-bound, the seal can breathe only through vents - vents - spare holes in the ice. The seal makes air by raking the ice from below with the claws of the forelimbs. Around her lair there are up to a dozen or more auxiliary vents, which can be tens or even hundreds of meters away from the main one. The airways are usually round in shape. Auxiliary products size 10? 15 cm (sufficient to stick your nose above the surface of the water), and the main air - up to 40? 50 cm. From below, the vents have the shape of an overturned funnel - they expand significantly downwards. Interestingly, the ability to make produkh is an innate instinct. In the experimental aquarium for the rest of the seals on the water surface, a small floating platform made of 5 cm foam plastic was installed, and the rest of the aquarium was with open water. Young seals of a month and two months of age made holes in the foam, raking it with their claws from below, put their nose out and breathed into the air, although there was open water nearby. "Saturated" with air, they again went under the water. It should be noted that seals were caught at a week or two weeks of age, when they were still feeding on their mother's milk. I had to feed them with condensed milk through a nipple from a bottle, like children. They did not swim in the water then and were afraid of the water. And when they grew up, they showed what they are capable of.

fishing

Along with legal hunting, poaching still occurs. Especially cruel is the hunt for seal cubs under the age of several months, despite the fact that this is prohibited by law.

The Baikal seal is one of three species of freshwater seals that live on our planet. This animal is endemic and the only mammal living in the waters of Lake Baikal, located in the south Eastern Siberia. It is considered one of the most interesting objects rapidly gaining popularity of the so-called ecological tourism. Read more about the lifestyle and habitat of the Baikal seal later in this article.

Short description

Adult animals can reach a length of 165 cm, and their weight varies between 50-120 kg. The growth of seals stops only at the nineteenth year of life, however, at the same time, body weight can periodically gain or decrease. The Baikal seal lives on average 55-60 years.

Under water, the animal usually swims at a speed of no more than 8 km / h, but during hunting or in case of a threat, it can increase significantly. Getting ashore, the seal slowly moves with the help of flippers and tail, however, sensing danger, it gallops rather dashingly, pushing them off the ground.

Baikal seals do not need to dive too deep. The fact is that they feed on such non-commercial fish as golomyanka, omul and goby, which are found in the illuminated areas of the lake. But, despite this, they are able to dive to a depth of 200-300 m and withstand a pressure of 21 atmospheres. The seal can be under water for more than one hour. This time is quite enough to find food or escape from persecution.

The first mention of the animal

It belongs to the beginning of the 17th century. At that time, the second Kamchatka, or, as it was also called, the Great Northern Expedition, organized by Vitus Bering himself, passed here. It also included a group of researchers headed by I. G. Gmelin. It was she who was engaged in a more in-depth study of the nature of Lake Baikal and its environs. It was then that a seal was first seen, which was later called a seal.

Then the locals claimed that the same animal was found not only in the waters of Lake Baikal, but also in the Baunt lakes. It is assumed that the seal could get there in two ways - through the Lena or Vitim rivers. Some researchers are inclined to the version that the seal could have penetrated there directly through Baikal, since it had previously communicated with these lakes. However, none of the above assumptions has yet been able to find reliable confirmation.

Favorite habitats

The Baikal seal can be found throughout the reservoir, but largest cluster these animals are most often observed in the middle and northern parts of the lake. However, their most favorite habitat is the Ushkany Islands, which are part of national park under the name "Zabaikalsky".

If there is no ice on the lake, the seals prefer to rest, lying on the rocks protruding from the water and basking in the sun, alternately exposing one or the other side to its warm rays. The largest number these animals can be observed in June, when they come to the surface for a long time and are located along the rocky shores of the Ushkany Islands.

Where does the Baikal seal winter?

In the cold season, animals live on the ice in special lairs located under the snow. Often they are found in hummocky areas of the lake. When Baikal begins to freeze, animals make the main ice on the ice, the average diameter of which is about 150 cm. It is interesting that seals can keep it in this state for a long time, from time to time removing the ice formed on it.

On the onset severe frosts When the lake freezes, these animals, being under a layer of snow, breathe only through secondary vents. To do this, they rake the ice with the help of their forelimbs, which end in strong claws. Thus, a seal's lair can have up to a dozen such vents located along its perimeter. The diameter of the secondary vents is no more than 15 cm. Such a hole is quite enough for the animal to stick its nose in there.

reproduction

Puberty in these animals occurs already in the fourth year of life in females and in the sixth in males. The period of bearing cubs of Baikal seals lasts 11 months. After the female is 40 years old, she is no longer able to give birth. In her entire life, she can give birth to 20, and under favorable conditions, more cubs.

Before giving birth, the female prepares a reliable snow shelter. Usually one or two cubs are born. The weight of newborns is no more than 4 kg. Seals have a soft white fur, which is why they are often called pups.

Caring for offspring

The snow lair is quite warm: at an external temperature of -20 ⁰C inside the “room”, it is +5 ⁰C. Baby seals stay in the shelter for five weeks. During this time, they eat only mother's milk and do not leave it for a minute. Before the lair begins to collapse, the squirrel manages to molt. The female leaves her cub only to hunt.

The lactation period for seals is about 60-75 days. It can last much longer, as it directly depends on the presence of ice cover. Before the babies begin to hunt on their own, they completely molt. At the same time, their fur turns from white to gray-silver. Color change occurs gradually and lasts about three months. In adult seals, the fur has a brownish-brown color.

The Baikal seal, starting from birth, knows how to build vents. This fact was confirmed by a specially conducted experiment. To do this, a small sheet of foam plastic 5 cm thick was placed directly on the water in the aquarium, while the rest of the space was left free. Several small seals, whose age did not exceed two months, began to make blowholes in the floating platform - special holes through which they breathed, sticking their nose in there. Surprisingly, the cubs did this, despite the fact that there was open water next to them. However, they, as if not noticing this, swam up from below, inhaled the air and again descended to the depth.

To conduct this experiment, several Baikal seal cubs were caught, which were no more than two weeks old. At this age, they still feed on their mother's milk, which means that the animals have never been immersed in water in their lives. When they grew up a little, during the first voyage, the seals demonstrated that the ability to make vents in the ice is their innate ability.

Another interesting fact is that this animal is able to sleep for quite a long time right in the water, while practically not moving. Sleep can continue until the oxygen in the blood runs out. It is so strong that scuba divers can swim close to the Baikal seal and even turn it over, and the animal continues to sleep peacefully. Such fearlessness of seals is due to the fact that natural enemies in this ecological environment They dont have. For them, only human activity poses a real threat.

Animal fishing

The Baikal seal, whose photo is located in this article, is an object of hunting. Its meat, fat and fur are especially valued, from which hats are sewn. In addition, hunters often use the skin to pad their skis. Seal meat can be eaten. They also eat boiled flippers, which are considered a delicacy. The most tender and tasty is the meat of young individuals.

In ancient times, seal fat was used in soap making and leather production. In 1895-1897, animal fat was used in large quantities to illuminate the mines that are part of the Lena gold mines. As for the locals, they were sure that seal fat was healing, so they used it for stomach ulcers, as well as for various lung diseases.

The hunting season for the Baikal seal begins in April and lasts as long as it is possible to move around the frozen lake. In addition, the animal can be caught with the help of nets. This method is more rational, since there are no losses that occur during shooting. The fact is that wounded animals often go under the ice. Where they die. Nowadays, seal hunting is not prohibited. Every year, at least 5-6 thousand seals are caught or shot.

Cause of mass death

It first happened in 1987. Recently, some scientists have been carefully studying the causes of the mass death of animals. Their diagnostics showed that the seals died due to the carnivore distemper virus. Interestingly, this disease affects both domestic and wild animals.

There is documented evidence that about one and a half thousand individuals died from distemper in 1987 and 1988. At the same time, fishing during the 80s of the last century amounted to at least 5 thousand heads. Fortunately, the Baikal seal was not included in the Red Book, as it was noticed that the population of the animal exceeded the optimal number. In addition, such shooting, according to scientists, is even useful, as it helps to reduce intraspecific competition and allows animals to gain weight faster.