Harp seal - amazing animal.About its features, habits, habitats will be discussed in this article.In another mammal is also called harp seal.
Where does this animal?
Habitat this fauna rather extensive, it is distributed in the Arctic waters.Meets harp seals in the Arctic Ocean, in the White Sea, on the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland.Representative of this type can be found north of the island of Jan Mayen.Outside the breeding season and other animals occupy territorial spaces, for example, in the Barents, Kara seas.Also, this type can be found even in parts of Atlantic Canada, and Greenland.
Features
harp seal - the most abundant species of the family under the name of "true seals".Despite its wide variety, harp seal is very easy to distinguish from other members of the "true seals".
first and most important thing to note - this is a specific and unique color that is a resident of the Arctic.At birth, the young harp seals have a greenish color of the coat.After a few of days the baby coat color itself changes its structure.It becomes a hollow and transparent.The sun's rays through the villi are the hollow easily get to the black body is heated and skin.The habitat of the harp seal it more than ever.
When the baby grows up, becomes independent and refuses milk, he manifested all the features possessed by the harp seal, photo clearly shows the main distinguishing feature - a pronounced strips on both sides of the back.In males, it is more pronounced than in the females of the species.The shape resembles a crescent strips, color - dark brown.Despite the fact that the seal coat color - gray.The strips are connected in the region of the sacrum at the top of the back.By the way, the head is also different from the basic color shades - brown, is another distinguishing feature of such a beast as the harp seal, a photo which you can see in this article.
Dimensions
second thing I would like to mention - it is large enough such northern representative.The length of the harp seal is not less than 180 centimeters, optimal sizes - from 180 to 185 cm. Of course, come across the larger specimens of up to 190 cm, and is relatively small - 160 centimeters.
Many wildlife species, there are sharp differences in the size of males and females.In the case of this species is virtually no difference there.Females of this seal may not be much smaller than males.The weight of these animals ranged from 140 to 160 kg.
largest share in the formation of body mass is a significant body fat.A thick layer of fat - a kind of guarantee of health.It is unbearable to withstand low temperatures, which is not uncommon for Arctic waters.In addition, the fat gives the most perfect streamlined body of these animals.And this fact is directly proportional to affect the speed of movement of the animal in the water, and other parameters in swimming.
as migratory harp seals?
type migration of this kind we shall consider below.Now note that the harp seal is almost always located in the resettlement process, he constantly moves along the edge of the Arctic ice.In static - a relatively fixed position - it is only when one of three conditions: in the process of mating, during work pups born, and during moulting.
migration of animals associated with the relocation of the high seas to stationary rookeries.Females of this fauna is almost up to the moment of birth of a baby floating in Arctic waters.Births harp seal literally occur in early March.Place for produce offspring should be spacious, sturdy and thick snow cover.
After birth, females in particular flocks astray like "manger", but they are huge in size.Most scientific name - whelping grounds.Here in these conditions appears harp seal, interesting facts about this animal, we will tell you a little bit later.So, the first week of life is the female with a cub, later after 7-10 days, it starts to come out into the open sea, and most of the time spent in the water, the ice goes only for milk feeding.
Interesting facts
first - twins born very rarely, mostly to light produced one cub.Its dimensions are: length - 1 m, weight - about 8 kg.After the birth of baby harp seals in the day, gaining about 2 kg.Essential nutrients are transferred to the mother's milk, which is very fat, in fact, it promotes rapid weight gain.
Another interesting fact is associated with molting harp seal.Shedding of innocent animals - sufficiently long and painful process, which takes place in late March.In addition to hair, and he renewed skin.During molting animal loses much of its weight, because practically does not eat.Upon completion of this action and the resumption of an active lifestyle weight quickly restored.
Good to know!
Harp seals - this amazing animal, harmless, which preys only on the fish, leading to its habitat.Enemy at the inhabitant of Arctic cold waters practically no major mammals that are dangerous - is the polar bears and killer whales.But for the first hard enough to catch the seal on the ice because of its maneuverability.Killer whales seldom pose a risk to these animals because of their habitat.Usually when the water swim whales, seals have migrated to safer place.
main danger for these animals represents a man - it unconditionally and without question.Damage harp seal population causes people both directly and indirectly.Such animals are destroyed directly for valuable fat.But this limited fishery quotas, allows you to save the population.Much worse is over-fishing.After all, it is the main diet for the harp seal, by the way, and not only for them.
Now you know who harp seal, what he eats, and where lives.In addition, we will tell you some interesting facts.
