The seal is a sea bumpkin. Types of seals. How many types of seals are there? What is the name of the seal?

Seals, sea lions and walruses are oceanic mammals in the group Pinnipeds (Seals). Seals' connection with water is not as close as that of whales. Seals require mandatory rest on land.

Seals are related, but are in different taxonomic families.

• The so-called earless (true) seals are members of the Canidae family - Phocidae.
• Sea lions and seals are members of the family Otariidae (Steller sea lions).
• Walruses belong to the Walrus family.

The main difference between earless and eared seals is their ears.

• Sea lions have external ear flaps. These folds of skin are designed to protect the ear from water when the seal swims or dives.
• “True” seals have no external ears at all. Need to get very close to them to see the tiny holes on the sides of the seal's smooth head.

Another difference between seal groups is their rear flippers:

In real seals, the back flippers do not bend or tuck forward, but only backward. This prevents them from "walking" on the ground. They move on land using wave-like 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 vocalizations resemble soft grunts.

There are 18 species of true seals and 16 species of eared seals.

The largest representative of true seals is the southern sea ​​Elephant. A massive male, weighing up to 8,500 pounds. (3,855.5 kg). Female elephant seals are much smaller, but still weigh more than a 2,000-pound car.

Males measure about 20 feet (6 meters) in length, with females measuring about half that 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 weighs from 110 to 150 pounds (that's 50 to 70 kg). Unlike other seals, male and female seals are approximately the same size.

Ringed seals are the most common seal species in the Arctic, according to a study by the National Oceanic Administration. atmospheric phenomena(NOAA).

Of the 16 species of eared seals, seven are species sea ​​lions.

One of the most known species, according to NOAA, is considered a California sea lion. IN wildlife these animals live along the west coast North America. They can often be seen basking on beaches and piers.

Males average about 700 pounds (315 kg) and can reach weights of over 1,000 pounds (455 kg). Females weigh on average 240 pounds (110 kg).

Natural environment of seals (seals)

True seals usually live in the cold ocean waters of the Arctic and off the coast of Antarctica.

The harp seal, ringed seal, akiba, Icelandic hooded seal, bearded seal, spotted seal, bearded walrus and lionfish live in the Arctic.

Crabeater, Weddell, leopard seals and Ross seals live in Antarctica.

Fur seals and sea lions live in the northern part Pacific Ocean between Asia and North America, and off the coast South America, Antarctica, South West Africa and southern Australia. They can spend about two years in the open ocean before returning to their breeding grounds.

Some seals make caves in the snow. Others never leave the ice and poke breathing holes in the ice.

What do seals eat?

Seals primarily hunt fish, but they also eat eel, squid, octopus and lobster.

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 it stops feeding completely - during the mating season it does not feed for several weeks.

All pinnipeds - from true seals (earless) to eared seals (steller sea lions) and walruses (tusked odobenids) - are carnivores. They are related to dogs, coyotes, foxes, wolves, skunks, otters and bears.

How do Squirrels appear?

When mating season arrives, male seals will make deep guttural sounds to attract the attention of females. The male seal also calls other males to a duel using sounds.

Seals are very territorial animals when it comes to mating. They will fight for the right to mate, striking and biting 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 it is time to give birth, some of them dig nests in the sand, where they give birth to their young. Other seals lay their babies directly on the iceberg, on the snow.

Squirrels are the name given to seal puppies.

Seals and sea lions only have one pup per year. Mothers will feed the squirrels on the ground until they develop waterproof fur. This may take about 1 month.

Females will mate and become pregnant again as soon as her squirrel is weaned.

Males are not able to mate until they are 8 years old because they need enough a big increase and enough strength to win a mating fight.

A few 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 International Union Nature Conservation (IUCN).

However, there are a few exceptions.

The Caribbean seal was declared extinct in 2008.

• The Galapagos seal and the monk seal are both critically 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 individual individuals.

The Elephant Seal 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 gas in the blood protects them when they dive into the deep ocean levels.

Harp seals can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes.

The Weddell Seal results are even more impressive. Their record for staying underwater is 80 minutes. They only come up to grab air when they find holes in the layers of ice above the ocean.

Bay of Farallones National marine reserve California is home to one fifth of the world's seals. These marine mammals They believe they have found a safe refuge within the reserve.

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).

Appearance 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, with the hands and feet being most developed, and the shoulder and thigh girdles being 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 elephant seal, 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.

Niramin - Oct 31st, 2015

The harbor seal, or Phoca vitulina, represents the family of true seals and lives in the seas bordering the Arctic Ocean (Chukchi, Barents, Bering and coastal waters of southern Greenland). Occasionally, this animal is found in the north of the Atlantic and also the Pacific oceans.

The size of an adult animal reaches 180 cm, and its weight is 140 kg, while females are almost as large as males. Red or gray dense fur with brown-black spots tightly covers the seal’s body and protects it from the cold. On the short muzzle, V-shaped nostrils characteristic of the species of real seals stand out. You can find out more about what Phoca vitulina looks like in the photo and video.

The harbor seal is an excellent swimmer and hunter. He eats sea ​​fish(mainly herring, capelin, smelt and navaga) and invertebrates of the coastal zone.

The lifespan of a male is 20-25 years, which is 10 years less than that of females, who live up to 30-35 years. These animals rarely leave coastal waters, and their main enemy is the killer whale, which can easily catch and eat a seal. And here polar bear rarely attacks these animals due to the fact that common seals choose hard-to-reach places to live rocky shores, where no predator can get close.

Look beautiful pictures harbor seal:

Photo: Common seals.

Video: Friendliest Harbor Seal Ever!!!

Video: Seals swim beautifully

Video: Common seal (Phoca vitulina)

Video: A harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) mother protecting her newborn pup from Bald Eagles

Seals live in different regions, but they are practically the same in appearance. The Eastern and Pacific varieties are typically slightly larger than their Western Atlantic counterparts. The seal population today is estimated to be around 500,000. The common seal is distributed in the seas adjacent to the waters of the Northern Arctic Ocean. The Baltic European subspecies lives along the coast Baltic Sea, and the Barents Sea is found in the waters of the northern coasts of Murman. The Russian Kuril subspecies is an inhabitant of the Lesser Kuril ridge and the islands of the Greater Kuril ridge. Seals usually choose rocky areas to live in, where they can easily hide from attacks by predators. This species avoids open sea spaces and hides in bays and river mouths.

The common seal has a body length of up to 1.85 m, its weight reaches 160 kg. Males are usually slightly larger than females, while others external differences They dont have. Characteristic distinguishing feature harbor seals - their V-shaped nostrils. From them it is very easy to recognize the animal, no matter what color its skin is.
The coloring of seals is very diverse. It contains shades of brown, gray and red. The predominant color is reddish-gray. Small spots of brown or black color, similar to oblong strokes, are noticeable throughout the body. The back is sometimes decorated with patterns of black-brown spots. Seals often have black spots on their muzzle, head and tail. The color of newborn babies is always exactly the same as that of their parents. The common seal does not have fur white in the first months of life, as happens in its closely related species.
The head is ovoid. The muzzle is short. The eyes are large, expressive, dark in color. The front legs are short, the hind legs are much better developed, they are strong and strong. The tail is short, the jaws are well developed, the teeth are large and strong, and there are large fangs. The common seal moves nimbly across the surface of the earth and ice, despite its heavy weight and something that looks rather clumsy in appearance.

The diet of the common seal consists of fish: smelt, cod, navaga, capelin, herring. It can also feed on invertebrates, crustaceans and mollusks, such as octopus and squid.

The common seal is distributed in the east and west of the Arctic Ocean. The eastern regions include the waters of the Bering Sea, the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea. In the west, these are the waters of the Barents Sea and the southern coast of Greenland. The species is also found in other Arctic seas, but rarely. The common seal also lives in the northern coastal waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and permanently lives in the Baltic Sea.
The common seal prefers coastal waters to live and does not travel far. At the end of summer and autumn, it establishes rookeries on spits and shallows where the tides ebb and flow. On open places and does not settle on wide banks. Can swim and dive well.

Common subspecies of the harbor seal

For one species of seal, five subspecies are known according to their main habitat regions:

• Western Atlantic seal (Phoca vitulina concolor), distributed in the eastern waters of North America;

• The Ungava seal (Phoca vitulina mellonae) lives in fresh waters in eastern Canada.

• The Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) lives in the western waters of North America;

• The island seal (Phoca vitulina stejnegeri) is found in eastern Asia;

• East Atlantic seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina). The most common subspecies, found in waters around Europe and Western Asia.

Males of harbor seals are always slightly larger than females in size, but otherwise sexual dimorphism is not pronounced in this species.

Seals do not undertake long journeys, and usually stick to stable places a habitat. To live, they form herds, the size of which depends on the time of year and place of residence.
It moves along the surface of the earth by crawling, since it cannot rely on its hind legs, which are converted into flippers. But the seal swims and dives very well. Can stay under water for 45 minutes.

Pregnancy in a common seal lasts 11 months. At the end of May or beginning of June, during low tide, births occur on the shallows, usually one baby is born. Its body length is about 1 meter, weight is approximately 13 kg. After just a few hours, the tide comes in, and the newborn seal immediately swims after its mother. This is due to the fact that the baby sheds its fur while still in the womb, and is born in the so-called “bathing suit.”
The milk feeding period lasts about a month. Then the female becomes pregnant again, mating games and mating in seals take place in the water. Immediately then comes the time of molting. This process is quite painful for the common seal; the animals endure it in rookeries. Seal rookeries are located on rocky islands and reefs that stick out of the water and are least accessible to predators.
Seals that live in Arctic waters mate, give birth to pups, and moult right on the ice floes. In general, their lifestyle is the same as that of other subspecies.
Female harbor seals usually become sexually mature at the age of 3-4 years. In males, this process is completed a little later, at 5-6 years. The life expectancy of females reaches 35-40 years, they give birth until about the age of 28 years. Males live less, about 25 years.

Common seals are hunted by polar bears, but the seal's caution and foresight makes it difficult prey for this predator. They are very harmful to seals. This powerful predator easily catches and eats seals. The animal can only escape if it manages to get ashore, but given the power and speed of the killer whale, this is usually quite difficult to do.

• There is a monument to a seal in Arkhangelsk. This is due to the fact that this particular animal during the Great Patriotic War saved thousands of residents of the city, as well as besieged Leningrad, from starvation.
• Two subspecies of seals live in the waters of Russian waters: Kuril (Stanger seal) and European. Both subspecies are listed in the Red Book. The status of populations of various subspecies also varies greatly, some of them are rarer, others have survived in greater numbers today. Long-term fishing has had a negative impact on seal numbers. In addition, animals are given great harm harmful industrial waste: emissions of oil, cadmium, mercury into the seas and oceans. Many young seals die from streptococcal infections. For these reasons, harbor seals currently require conservation and protection to prevent further population decline.

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

And the order of pinnipeds contains 3 families: true seals, eared seals (for example, fur 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 Baikal seal, live in the inland lakes of 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.