Despite the specifics of their name, these animals have nothing to do with cats. Fur seals belong to the class of pinnipeds, to the family of eared seals. In total, about nine species of these animals are known (scientists have not yet come to a consensus on this matter), which are divided into two large groups - northern fur seals (they include one species that is called that) and southern fur seals (the rest kinds). The life of these unusual animals has always aroused great interest among fauna lovers. Often on the forums you can find questions about the nutritional features of fur seals, their habitat and habits. Naturalists are happy to exchange their knowledge with like-minded people. This article provides information about where the fur seal lives and what it eats in nature.
Where do northerners live and what do they eatfur seals?
The existence of the northern fur seal became known in 1741. It was discovered off the coast of Alaska, on the Commander Islands. In 1786, rookeries of these animals were discovered on the Pribylov Islands. The main habitats of fur seals are the islands lying in the Bering Strait, the Far East coast of Russia, the western coast of North America, and the northern Pacific islands. They live on the Kuril Islands, the Commander Islands, Tyuleniy Island, on the coast of California and in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Northern fur seals are known to migrate widely away from their traditional breeding grounds. The females of these animals, along with the cubs, lead a nomadic lifestyle, while the males live sedentary. The meeting of males and females occurs exclusively during the rut. What does a fur seal eat? According to scientists, the main food of these animals is fish and cephalopods.
About appearance and size
Female and male seals are so different in size from each other that scientists used to classify them as different species. The body length of the male northern fur seal can reach two meters, the female - one and a half meters. Often, males weigh about 185-250 kg, females weigh about 40-50 kg.
Besides significant weight and size, males differ from females in the presence of a thick collar on the neck. A thick layer of fat under the skin helps animals maintain a constant body temperature in ice water. Thanks to him, the cat's body has a streamlined shape, which makes it easier for him to swim.
About the peculiarities of behavior
It is known that adult males never leave their rookeries for a long distance. Females, on the other hand, go on a trip across the ocean every year in search of fish. On the ground, northern fur seals are much more agile than seals similar to them: they can bend their hind limbs under the body. In the water, these animals paddle using circular motions of their front flippers, with their rear flippers mainly functioning as a rudder. They have excellent vision, hearing and taste.
Where, how and what does a fur seal eat?
Like other pinnipeds, vibrissae (special long tactile hairs protruding above the surface of the fur on the muzzle, sensitive to mechanical vibrations) help to find food for these animals. When prey (fish or shellfish) approaches, from which waves diverge through the water, the vibrissae begin to tremble, which helps the cat to detect it.
Answering the question of how and what the fur seal eats, experts note that these animals are able to dive on average to a depth of 68 meters. However, scientists have observed northern fur seals at a depth of 190 meters, and even the remains of deep-sea fish were found in the stomachs of some individuals. It is known that males usually do not go far from the rookery, guarding it, while females during the mating season swim to the sea to feed for seven to eight days, leaving the cubs alone. Often they move away from the coast at a distance of up to 150 km. Females swim, resting and falling asleepin the water until they reach places rich in fish, where they begin their hunt.
About breeding
Males reach puberty at the age of five, females are sexually mature at two years. The mating season for seals lasts from June to July. The pregnancy lasts twelve months. Usually one baby is born.
Cleavers are the first to appear in the rookery area and fight among themselves for the best sites, and from mid-May - early June - for females who have returned from a trip by this time, which they tend to capture more and drive to their harem. Harem female billhooks guard unusually jealously. On the first day after their appearance on the rookery, females give birth to cubs. The weight of a newborn is about two kilograms, the length is about 50 cm. The baby is usually covered with black fur. A few days after giving birth, the females mate with the owner of the harem and go hunting for many days, returning to the shore only to feed the babies. At the age of three months, the cubs can already go down to the water.
Animal-Human Relations
The body of northern fur seals is covered with warm thick hair, because of which they are actively hunted. In the middle of the 19th century in Russia, the intensity of trade in valuable skins of these mammals increased to such a level that twice the colonies of these animals living on the Pribylov Islands were on the verge of extinction. Hunters from other countries also posed a significant threat to fur seals fishing on the high seas. To save the population, in 1911several states - the USA, Japan, Great Britain and Tsarist Russia - signed an agreement on the regulation of hunting.
About the southern fur seal
No less interesting for amateur naturalists visiting special forums to find out how the fur seal lives and what it eats in Antarctica.
The southern fur seal (Antarctic) is a member of the eared seal family. This graceful beast is often quite large. Several species of southern fur seals are known:
- The largest of them, scientists call the Cape seal, inhabiting the coasts of Namibia, South Africa and South Australia. The body length of males of these animals reaches two and a half meters, weight - 180 kg. Body length of females - 1.7 meters, weight - no more than 80 kg.
- Significantly smaller seals live on the Galapagos Islands (males with a body length of 1.5 m, weighing 65 kg, females with a body length of 1.2 m, weighing 30 kg).
- Seals with the following parameters live on the southern coast of South America: males with a body length of 1.9 m, weighing 160 kg, females with a body length of 1.4 m, weighing 50 kg.
- An inhabitant of the Arctic region (deserted islands of the South Sea), with approximately the same size, is the Kerguelen fur seal, which does not experience any discomfort from the proximity of eternal cold.
The life expectancy of the southern fur seal is about twenty years. The main enemies of the Antarctic fur seal are the predatory killer whale and the man hunting for it.
What do animals look like?
Mostanimals have fur with a grayish-brown color (sometimes chocolate or dark yellow), their belly is always lighter than the sides and back. Males are distinguished by the presence of luxurious black manes, sometimes diluted with gray hair. Females are usually dark brown or black.
About the mating season
The mating season for southern seals lasts from October to November. The mass of the cub is usually up to five kilograms, the body length is up to 50-60 cm. During the year, the mother feeds the baby with milk, gradually introducing shellfish and fish into the diet. A week after giving birth, the females mate again. Their pregnancy lasts eleven months. Females reach puberty at the age of three, males - 2 years later.
About nutrition
What does a fur seal eat? It is known that the southern harems do not exist for too long. They disintegrate after fertilization of females. There comes a period of molting, after which they go to the sea to feed, where they spend most of their time. The Antarctic fur seal feeds on fish, cephalopods and crustaceans.
