family pinnipeds

Seals are a family of mammals belonging to the order of pinnipeds (Pinnipedia). Seals are called representatives of the families of sea lions, or eared seals (Otariidae) and seals, or true seals (Phocidae). The eared seal family is represented by two species - seals and sea lions.

Depending on the breed and habitat, the family real seals subdivided into many genera, species and subspecies. Consider several genera and species of true seals living in the CIS:

Genus Harbor seals (Phoca)

Common or spotted seal or common seal (Phoca vitulina)

Larga, or motley seal (Phoca larga)

Ringed seal, or ringed seal, or Akiba (Phoca hispida)

Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica; syn. Pusa sibirica)

Caspian seal, or Caspian seal (Phoca caspica; syn. Pusa caspica)

Striped seal, or lionfish (Phoca fasciata; syn. Histriophoca fasciata)

Harp seal, or bald seal (Phoca groenlandica; syn. Pagophilus groenlandicus)

Genus Long-faced, or gray, seals (Halichoerus)

Long-faced or gray seal or tevyak (Halichoerus grypus)

Genus Ukrainian seals (Cystophora)

hooded seal, or white-bellied seal (Cystophora cristata)

Genus Monk seals (Monachus)

Monk seal (Monachus monachus)

Genus Sea hares (Erignathus)

Sea hare, or bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus)

In both groups, both pairs of limbs are transformed into flippers, limbs with webbed fingers, armed with claws. The rear flippers are directed backwards and are used for swimming. In eared seals, the forelimbs serve for movement in the water, and the hind limbs serve as rudders in the water, and on land they bend forward and support a massive body.

Seals are well adapted to an aquatic lifestyle and tolerating low temperatures, due to living in harsh arctic conditions. They spend their entire lives surrounded by ice and snow in the cold Arctic waters. A thick layer of subcutaneous fat takes on the main thermoregulatory function, which reduces the specific weight of the body and facilitates swimming.

harbor seal

harbor seal(lat. Phoca vitulina Linnaeus) is a representative of the family of true seals. Two subspecies are in the Red Book - the European subspecies and the Steineger or island seal. Some subspecies are endangered, the subspecies Phoca vitulina vitulina is protected under the Wadden Sea Agreement.

There are five subspecies of the harbor seal:

The West Atlantic seal, Phoca vitulina concolor, is found in eastern North America;

The Ungawa seal, Phoca vitulina mellonae, is found in the fresh waters of eastern Canada. Some researchers include the subspecies P. v. concolor;

Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi. Found in western North America;

Island seal, Phoca vitulina stejnegeri. Found in East Asia;

East Atlantic seal, Phoca vitulina vitulina. The most widespread of all subspecies of the common seal. Found in Europe and Western Asia.

Seals are common in the seas adjacent to the Arctic Ocean, the Barents, Japan, Okhotsk, Bering and Chukchi Seas, as well as in inland waters - in lakes Baikal, Ladoga, Caspian. They inhabit the coastal waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Baltic and North Seas. Harbor seals usually inhabit rocky places where they cannot be reached by predators.

Usually the main background of the head, sides and flippers is yellowish-ocher-olive, on the back there is a beautiful pattern of olive-black-brown spots with outlines of oblong strokes. Harbor seals are brown, rufous or gray in color and have characteristic V-shaped nostrils. Western water seals have two types of coloration: dark and light. In seals (larga) of eastern waters, the main tone is lighter and brighter, spots are rarer and smaller, dark individuals are very rare. Adult individuals reach 1.85 m in length and 132 kg of weight. Females live up to 30-35 years, and males up to 20-25 years. The global population of seals ranges from 400,000 to 500,000 individuals.

Larga, or motley seal

Larga, or motley seal (lat. Phoca largha) is a species of seal that is closely related to the common seal and has a similar appearance. The word "larga" seals called the Tungus. Lives in the North Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Japan and beyond. east coast Russia. The spotted seal lives in the Sea of ​​Japan all year round. Spotted seals prefer shallow bays, small islands and small rock formations near the coast.

The color of the fur is light, variegated, whitish or light silver below, darker above, dark gray. Along the back, on the sides and belly - brown-brown-black spots irregular shape. Adult spotted seals weigh from 81 to 109 kg and reach a length of 1.7 m for males and 1.6 m for females. The animal's flippers help to move not only in water, but also on the surface.

The fur of a newborn seal is white, the subcutaneous layer of fat immediately after birth is small, but for 3 weeks, while he drinks fatty mother's milk, the amount of fat increases, the baby rapidly gains weight. Already by 4 weeks, the body of the cub fully adapts to the world around it. He gets ready for active swimming and learning to forage on their own. But even if they cannot immediately learn to catch their own food, the stock of fat accumulated during breastfeeding enough for 10-12 weeks of life.

The population of spotted seals is estimated at 230,000 individuals. Larga is a rather numerous species in Far Eastern seas so they are allowed to hunt. In addition, a certain number of animals are also harvested for industrial purposes, obtaining skin, fur, lard and meat. Despite the population, the spotted seal is a little-studied animal. You can see these animals from afar and only guess what the seals are doing.

ringed seal

Ringed seal, or ringed seal(lat. Phoca hispida) - a species of true seals, most common in the Arctic. In addition to the Arctic Ocean, this close relative The common seal lives in the Baltic Sea, as well as in lakes Ladoga and Saimaa.

There are 4 subspecies of ringed seals that live in different living spaces, but they are all located in polar or subpolar regions:

The White Sea subspecies (P. h. hispida) is the most common seal in the Arctic Ocean and lives on ice floes.

The Baltic subspecies (P. h. botnica) lives in cold regions Baltic Sea, in particular off the coasts of Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Russia, occasionally reaching Germany.

The Ladoga (P. h. ladogensis) freshwater species lives in Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, this subspecies is included in the Red Data Books of Russia and Karelia.

Saimaa (P. h. saimensis) freshwater species, lives in Lake Saimaa. The Saimaa seal is under the immediate threat of extinction, this subspecies is the only mammal endemic to Finland. According to estimates in 2012, there were about 310 representatives of this subspecies.

The ringed seal is so named for the light rings with a dark frame that make up the pattern of its coat. The ringed seal is the smallest seal species found in the Arctic; its length is up to 1.5 m, and its weight is 40-80 kg. Baltic specimens are slightly larger - 140 cm and 100 kg. Males are larger than females. Ringed seals have good eyesight, as well as excellent hearing and smell. The fur of the seal is thicker and longer than that of other seals. On a gray background there are spots bordered by light rings. In the fishery, seal fat is extracted, up to 20 kg from one individual, the skins are used for the manufacture of leather and fur products.

Baikal seal

Baikal seal, or Baikal seal(lat. pusa sibirica) - one of three freshwater species seal in the world, endemic to Lake Baikal, a relic of the Tertiary fauna. It occurs only in Lake Baikal, from which it enters rivers, such as the Angara and Selenga. The main habitat in Baikal is pelagial. Sometimes found in sors and bays of the lake.

Body length of adult seals is from 110 to 150 cm, weight is from 60 to 130 kg. The Baikal seal has a fusiform body, the neck is not separated from the body. Between the fingers - membranes. The front flippers are armed with powerful claws, of which the front is the most powerful. Thin, rather long claws of the hind flippers are weaker than the claws of the front ones.

The skin of the seal is covered with rather dense short, up to 2 cm, fur. The edges of the ear canal, a narrow ring around the eyes and nostrils remain bare. The muzzle of males is almost naked, flippers are covered with hair. The color of the upper body of the Baikal seal is brownish-gray with a silvery tint; the bottom is slightly lighter.

On the upper lips of the seal, there are usually eight translucent vibrissae arranged in regular rows. In males, the oral vibrissae are shorter than in females. There are supraorbital vibrissae. Such "eyebrows" consist of seven vibrissae, of which six are located in a regular circle, and the seventh is in the center. The nostrils of the seal represent two vertical slits; their outer edges form leathery folds - valves. In water, the nostrils and ear openings remain tightly closed. Under the pressure of the air released from the lungs, the nostrils open.

Fishing has been banned since 1980. The Baikal seal is included in the IUCN-2008 Red List as a species close to extinction.

There is a mention of the Baikal seal in the reports of the first explorers who came to Lake Baikal in the first half of the 17th century. A scientific description was first made during the work of the 2nd Kamchatka, or the 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.

According to legend local residents, seals met in the Baunt lakes one or two centuries ago. 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.

Caspian seal

Caspian seal, or Caspian seal(lat. Phoca caspica) - a species of real seals, a detachment of pinnipeds. The smallest seal in the world, endemic to the Caspian Sea. It is found in the waters of the entire sea - from the coastal regions of the Northern Caspian to the coast of Iran.

Body length 1.2-1.4 m, weight up to 90 kg. The coloration of the back of adult seals is olive-gray, Bottom part body, sides, front of the head, cheeks and throat - a dirty straw-whitish tone. The upper part of the body is covered with spots.

This unique species is in danger of extinction: over the past 100 years, its population has declined by 90%. If at the beginning of the 20th century the number of Caspian seals reached 1 million individuals, then, according to aerial photography, the number of animals in 1989 was about 400 thousand individuals, in 2005 - 111 thousand individuals, and in 2008 no more than 100 thousand individuals. International Union The Nature Conservancy (IUCN) in the last century included the Caspian seals in the list of "vulnerable" species. Currently, these animals are transferred to the category of endangered species. One of the main negative factors leading to the reduction of the species is sea pollution and fishing for seals.

striped seal

striped seal, or lionfish (Histriophoca fasciata) - a species of the family of true seals. It got its name due to its distinctive coloration. Adult males have a very contrasting color - a general dark, almost black background with white stripes encircling the body in several places. Females have a less contrasting color, their general background is lighter, and the stripes sometimes merge and are often almost indistinguishable. The body length of an adult animal is 150-190 cm, weight is 70-90 kg.

The lionfish is common in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean - in the Chukchi, Bering, Okhotsk seas and the Tatar Strait. It mostly prefers the open sea, but in case of ice drift it can be close to the coast.

harp seal

harp seal, or lysun (lat. Pagophilus groenlandicus) is a species of marine mammals of the family of true seals (Phocidae) from the order of pinnipeds (Pinnipedia) common in the Arctic.

Harp seals are found in the Arctic waters of the Arctic Ocean. There are three populations of harp seals that almost never overlap. The first population is distributed in the Barents, White and Kara Seas. The second population lives off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The third population has chosen for itself places north of Jan Mayen.

The body length of adult males is 1.7-2 m, females 1.5-1.8 m, weight 150-160 kg. The coloration of an adult male (bat) and a female (Utelga) differs sharply. The adult male is white with a straw-yellow tint, the muzzle is black, on the back on each side there is a wide black stripe. An adult female with a light muzzle, a smoky gray eye, a light belly, dark brown or black spots of irregular shape on the back and sides.

With age, the color of the fur of the bald man changes. Newborn seals are white - pups. After the first molt, long white fur becomes short and grey. During the molting period, when young seals are white and gray, they are called khokhlush, and after molting, they are called serks. At the age of two years, the color of the fur is ash-gray with dark spots. In the third year of life, it fades, and dark spots turn pale. Seals at the age of two and three years are called conjui. Only four-year-old seals acquire the characteristic attire of adult animals.

The coat of the harp seal consists of a short, hard and sparse pile, has no undercoat and does not protect the body from cooling. It looks shiny, smooth, thick, durable. It is very warm and dense, protects even from the coldest, most piercing wind, and it is not at all afraid of water. Its delicate velvety and lightness make fur an excellent material for making casual wear and evening wear. Restrained and aristocratic fur looks great on men and women, emphasizing the expressiveness and self-will of the owner.

sea ​​hare

Sea hare, or bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) is a pinniped seal family (Phocidae). The only species of the genus Erignathus. The name "sea hare" was given to this seal by Russian hunters because of its shy habits. Or, according to another version, for the similarity of the "jumps" that he makes when moving on land and ice.

The bearded seal is the largest among the northern seals, over 2 m long and weighing up to 300 kg. The color of the fur is monochromatic brownish-gray, darker on the back than on the belly, sometimes weakly expressed small spots are found on it. The hairline is relatively sparse and coarse. Vibrissae are long, thick and smooth.

The bearded seal is distributed in the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean and northern parts Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the Atlantic to the south, it occurs up to and including Hudson Bay and coastal waters of Labrador. In the Pacific Ocean south to the northern part of the Tatar Strait. Occasionally occurs in the central parts of the Arctic Ocean. Avoids high seas prefers shallow coastal areas.

The commercial value of the bearded seal is significant. It is mined by the local population and special hunting vessels. When fishing, subcutaneous fat (40-100 kg per animal) and the skin are used as raw hides. Meat is also used in some places, mainly for feeding fur-bearing animals.

The Greatness of the Monk Seal

Monk seal, or white-bellied seal(lat. Monachus monachus) is a representative of the genus of monk seals (Monachus), the family of true seals (Phocidae). Is under the threat of extinction.

The fishermen of Algeria, Turkey, Libya have long been respected by another sea animal - the monk seal. If you offend him, they said, you will not see luck in the fishing business. On the west coast of Africa, it was believed that the monk seal monitors the respect of the fisherman for his prey: you can’t swear while fishing. Among the ancient Greeks, the monk seal was under the auspices of two influential gods - Apollo and Poseidon. Many cities in Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia had the local name of the monk seal in their names. The same animal was Marseille's first totem. The image of a monk seal is often found on ancient Greek coins. In Spain, in the Port of Avil, to this day there is a monument to this marine mammal. And according to biblical legends, the Egyptian pharaoh with his army turned into seals when he rushed to catch up with Moses with the Jews leaving Egypt.

Fur seal

Northern catfish ik, or sea cat, or eared seal (lat. Callorhinus ursinus) - pinniped mammal belonging to the eared seal family. There are 7-9 species of fur seals, which are divided into two genera - 1 species is northern fur seals, and the remaining species are southern fur seals.

area various kinds covers the entire Pacific basin from Alaska and Kamchatka in the north to Australia and the subantarctic islands in the south. In addition, the Cape fur seal lives on the coast of the Namib Desert in South Africa. This is the only marine mammal, about which we can say that it lives in the desert.

Fur seals live on the coasts of the seas and oceans, occupying gently sloping and steep rocky shores. Fur seals have a pronounced gregarious character, their rookeries number several thousand animals, often living in crowded and crushed. Usually, animals rest on the shore, and feed in the sea. However, each such hunt can last up to 2-3 days, so the seals can sleep in the water.

Fur seals feed mainly on fish, less often they can eat cephalopods. In the water, they are dexterous and fast predators, moreover, they are quite voracious. By autumn, fur seals accumulate a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.

Seals have an elongated body, a relatively short neck, not big head, with barely noticeable auricles, the limbs are flattened into flippers. Fur seals move on land, relying on all four limbs. The tail is short, almost invisible. Fur seals have wet, large, and dark eyes. They are rather myopic, although this is compensated by a well-developed hearing and sense of smell, and are also capable of echolocation.

Fur seals are covered with rather peculiar fur. The fur of fur seals has a low, very thick and soft underfur, and a coarse and stiff awn. There are about 300 thousand hairs on the skin. Ratio of awn-down 1:30.

Fur seal color changes with age. The color of animals is often brown, sometimes from silver-gray to black-brown. Newborn seals are a brilliant pure black color, after molting their fur becomes gray. With age, the fur of the cat turns brown. The older the animal, the more dark tones in the color.

Males and females of fur seals differ greatly in size: males look more massive due to the thick neck and are 4-5 times larger than females. The weight of male large northern fur seals can reach 100-250 kg, while females weigh only 25-40 kg.

Apart from natural enemies hunting brings considerable damage to populations. And to this day, the extraction of seals is carried out on an industrial scale. Only cubs are killed (their fur best quality), in addition to skins, meat and fat of these animals are also used. However, the main production is for the fashion industry. Some subspecies of fur seals are on the verge of extinction.

This species was described by Carl Linnaeus on the basis of detailed information provided by Georg Steller, who first encountered this species on Bering Island in 1742.

Northern fur seal rookeries were first described in 1741 on Commander Islands expedition of Vitus Bering. Naturalist Georg Steller wrote in his diaries about "countless herds of cats", whose numbers at that time were enormous (Golder, 1925). Since then, there, as well as on other islands of the northern Pacific, hunters rushed for "fur gold" and the rookeries fell into decay many times as a result of uncontrolled fishing and were restored anew. In 1957, a convention was adopted for the conservation of fur seals in the northern part of the Pacific. In recent decades, fur seal hunting has greatly decreased, and on some islands, including Medny Island in 1995, it was completely discontinued due to economic unprofitability (Stus, 2004). On Tyuleniy Island, fur seal hunting has been discontinued for the past 5 years. But every year, teams of trappers arrive here to catch animals on the orders of Russian dolphinariums and oceanariums - usually from 20 to 40 individuals. Until now, small-scale fishing in Russia has been carried out on Bering Island.

fur seal for connoisseurs of beauty

The fur of fur seals is highly valued because of its extraordinary density, tenderness and silkiness. It is very warm and wearable, waterproof and extremely durable, 95% wear. Service life is about 12-14 years.

The fur of seals has high quality and is in high demand in foreign and domestic markets. Skins at the age of 2-4 years are considered the best in quality, the length is from 50 to 150 cm, older than 4 years are of little use for the manufacture of fur products, as they have rare fluff and thick heavy leather fabric. Natural shades of fur seal - from dark gray to almost black. In the process of dressing, the awn is sometimes plucked out, and the fluff is dyed: the top is black or dark brown, the bottom is cherry or golden. In a one-piece fur seal product, it can seem too heavy, as it creates tight folds at the fold. Looks great in combination with other fur or in the form of decoration. Fur is used to make collars, men's hats, lighter ones - for women's coats.

Designer modern fur seal coat - their straight silhouette shows natural beauty beast and emphasizes the super style and originality of the owner, providing her comfort in any bad weather. Fur coats make women look mysterious and seductive, and men look masculine and powerful.

Seal fishing

Seals are game animals. Three species are characteristic of the Arctic Ocean: the harp seal, the bearded seal and the ringed seal. The harbor seal is found within Russia outside the polar Arctic. In Russia, the harp seal ranks first in terms of prey, the length of an adult animal is over 1.5 m, and its weight is up to 160 kg. Fishing for other seals is difficult due to the fact that they do not form mass concentrations.

In the fishery, fat and skin of adult animals are used, and the skin of seals is used for fur processing. Belk trade - a type of fur trade, the object of which is the Belek. Belek is a newborn baby of the harp or Caspian seal, covered with snow-white fur. In recent years, this fishery has attracted the attention of various environmental organizations and is subjected to harsh criticism from their side, despite the fact that the indigenous peoples have always held back the number of seals and this has maintained a balance in nature, because. a large number of pups eat all the fish, which can threaten an ecological disaster.

Depending on the breed and habitat of the seal, the fur differs in the length of the pile, color and texture:

Belek - skins have the highest density and quality of fur. They have a primary, shiny, soft, firmly seated hairline. The coloration is white or cream in color, as well as with a grayish even or spotty shade on the spinal part of the skin.

Crested - the skins have a primary, dense, soft, firmly seated hairline from light to dark gray on the ridge and silver-gray on the belly.

Serka - molted, sparse, coarse, shiny, short hairline. The coloration is gray or silver-gray with dark spots.

Sivar (Caspian) - skins of a molted seal up to a year old, with a shiny, low, soft hair mottled gray.

Akiba - skins of a gray-green color with a yellowish tint, with a pattern of large ring-shaped, dark spots in the middle, surrounded by a light border.

Larga - the color of the skin is light yellow or cream with a pattern of solid dark spots.

Seal - skins have a shiny, thick, low, even, long pile. The fur consists of a rough, almost downless awn, tightly adhering to the skin tissue, dark brownish in color, with ring-shaped spots. The leather is thick and heavy.

Durable seal fur for demanding customers

Seal fur is one of the most popular, beautiful and durable materials. The fur of the seal is thicker, smooth and long, silky to the touch, gray in color with ring-shaped spots. Beautiful silver seal fur with a wonderful beautiful natural pattern has excellent qualities, has unique water-repellent properties. The fur of the seal is extremely practical - it is very durable, does not wipe, does not climb, does not wear out for a long time. Use in in kind, and also painted in brown, black, White color using tone and top dyeing. The fur of the seal can be plucked and not plucked. It has high wear resistance - 95%, it is up to 20 seasons and water-repellent properties.

The fur of the seal is quite expensive due to the rarity of this animal. Requires very high quality dressing, due to the thick bottom layer of the skin. The fur of the seal is very hard and a little heavy, therefore short products are often sewn from the seal. After several years of wearing, the mezdra becomes softer and the product made of seal fur looks even more attractive than new. Manufacture of leather and fur products: women coats, men's jackets, jackets, hats, men's collars and women's bags. The fur of the seal is universal, suitable for classic and sports products, perfectly combined with leather and suede, with shiny fittings, as comfortable as possible in an urban environment.

The fur of the seal looks great on men and women, many fashion houses include it in their winter and autumn collections. Products made of seal fur perfectly fit the figure, ideal for people leading an active lifestyle, mainly men. The fur of the seal drapes beautifully and is suitable for tailoring. outerwear, skirts, jackets, hats. If a new seal product may seem stiff to you, then after two or three weeks of wearing it, like a leather product, it acquires its natural flexibility.

The rigidity of the skin increases the wearability of this fur, so that the owner of a seal coat or jacket can be sure that it will serve him for a long time and reliably. Clothing made from seal fur, with daily, not very careful wear, can last more than a decade. In bad weather, seal fur retains its appearance and thermal insulation properties. Possesses moisture resistance, she is not afraid pouring rain and reagents with which public utilities sprinkle roads. The fur of the seal requires minimal care: you can remove dirt simply by wiping the fur with a damp sponge, it will sparkle with a beautiful silvery-bluish glow. Upon returning home, a fur coat or jacket is enough to simply brush it off. Seal fur products are beautiful and practical for a city dweller.

Seal products are suitable for active, energetic people who do not like it when clothes restrict movement. For those who want to look good but don't like to spend too much time caring for their clothes. Those who pick up fur for daily wear, and not in order to impress friends. Those who seek to combine comfort and elegance in clothes.

With the development of the fur industry, some species of marine animals, which are valuable raw materials for the fur industry, were on the verge of extinction. Every year, the snow-white landscape of the east coast of Canada is covered with bloody footprints. Hunters brutally kill thousands of innocent baby seals who perish in terrible agony, and their skins are used to make luxury goods. Therefore, think about whether the life of a little pup is worth your fur product? For more information on how to protect marine animals, please visit:

A large mustachioed muzzle with expressive eyes, a smooth body, a strong tail and paws - who does not know a seal, who has not seen it at least in a picture or on TV! They are often confused with walruses, but meanwhile they are completely different animals. What are their features and how many types of seals exist?

Who is a seal

Seals belong to the class of mammals that live mainly in the Arctic. These are animals with flippers instead of limbs, it is for this reason that earlier seals (like their walrus relatives) were called pinnipeds. Now this name is not used, considered obsolete.

Among the seals, two families are distinguished - real and eared seals.

Walrus and seal

Many people confuse walruses and seals. It is worth clarifying what is the difference between these animals. So, firstly, there are many types of seals, the walrus is one. It is larger than a seal in size and weight - at least twice. The walrus has large fangs - in other words, tusks with which these animals get food, fight and simply survive. The seal has none.

Walruses do not have ears (this is how the rhyme turned out), but eared seals (you can guess this from their name) have auricles. The whiskers of walruses are thick and wide, while those of seals are thin and narrow. The former have almost no hairline, while the latter have it.

Walruses are peaceful towards each other, they always keep in groups. There are skirmishes between seals (for example, for territory in mating season), they often prefer isolation. At the same time, seals are more “talkative”, you can always hear any sounds from them. Walruses are silent.

Earless and eared: what's the difference

As mentioned above, earlier seals were called pinnipeds, but not now: according to some researchers, real and eared seals have different origins. This is their main difference.

The former are the closest relatives of the kunim. That is why they have such an elongated body, like a spindle, which is comfortable to control in the water, and short (in relation to the body) limbs. These seals were in the water for the first time in the North Atlantic Ocean. But their eared counterparts (like walruses) descended from ... bears! A small head, a brownish fur color, tiny ears - all this indicates belonging to a bearish genus. They left land in the Pacific Ocean.

Among other things, these types of seals differ in their flippers. Eared ones are able to step on their hind limbs, walk on the ground with them, while the real ones are deprived of such an opportunity: when they move on land, flippers simply drag behind them. But these animals actively use their rear flippers in the water, swimming with their help. For eared brothers, the means of swimming are the forelimbs, and they use the hind limbs as a kind of "rudder". Another difference between these seals from each other is that the real ones do not have auricles (for this feature they are sometimes also called earless).

The origin of species: a controversial issue

The version about various origins seals have their adversaries. So, some scientists argue that pinnipeds appeared about fifty million years ago, when neither the mustelid family nor the bear family existed yet. Such researchers are inclined to assume that both true and eared seals nevertheless descended from a common ancestor, belong to the family of pinnipeds and are included in the suborder of canine arctoid predators, which, in addition to them, also included raccoon, canine, mustelid and bear.

Real seal: features

In addition to the already mentioned characteristics of the appearance of a real seal, it must be said about the short neck and the same tail, while the former is inactive. Vibrissa is usually up to ten pieces, they are quite tough. It is vibrissae that help seals navigate in the water: they do not rely on sight, but with the help of whiskers they catch obstacles and successfully overcome them. The front flippers of these animals are even shorter than the rear ones, and are closer to the head. The size and weight of a real seal ranges from one and a half to six and a half meters and from ninety to three and a half thousand kilograms.

Some species of seals do not have hair, but usually it is coarse, not fluffy, of various colors. Seals are characterized seasonal molt. The babies are born with thick, often white and very soft fur, which is replaced after three weeks. Pregnancy in females lasts from two hundred and seventy to three hundred and fifty days, and reproduction (like molting) occurs on ice. The peculiarity of real seals is that mothers stop feeding their cubs with milk quite early, and for several weeks the babies eat only accumulated fat reserves (since they themselves are not yet able to provide themselves with food). In general, real seals eat fish, crustaceans, and molluscs. Some species even prey on penguins.

Representatives of the real seal

Below are the types of seals, names and photos of some of them. Earless seals include 13 genera:


These thirteen genera include, according to various information, from eighteen to twenty-four different species. The most ancient is the Puyila, which lived in the Canadian Arctic.

Eared seal: features

Speaking about the appearance of eared seals, it should be noted, first of all, that females and males are easy to distinguish by size: males grow up to three and a half meters, females - only up to one. The weight, compared with real seals, in these species is quite small - from one hundred and fifty to a thousand kilograms. The color of the coat, as already mentioned, is brown, the hair itself is hard, coarse. The neck is long, the tail, on the contrary, is short. The hind limbs have claws, while the front ones do not. At the same time, they are quite large - a quarter of the total size of the animal's body.

Eared seals are quite active. They do not like ice, and they prefer to molt and breed on the coast, but they winter in the sea. Pregnancy of females is approximately the same in duration as that of real seals, but they feed babies with milk longer - about four months. After that, the cub is able to take care of its own food. Eared seals, by the way, almost do not eat crustaceans - their diet mainly consists of fish, mollusks, krill. Some species are able to eat the cubs of other seals, penguins, birds.

Types of eared seal

The list of seal species of this type includes fourteen-fifteen (data vary) items that are included in seven genera of two subfamilies. They are (to list a few):

  1. Fur seals (Northern, South American, subtropical, and so on).
  2. Sea lions (sea lions, New Zealand, Galapagos and others).

Previously, there was another type of seal - Japanese sea ​​lion, but now it is considered extinct, because since ancient times, seals and lions have been hunted globally.

Habitat

True seals love cold and temperate waters. They are mainly found in subpolar latitudes, however, the monk seal prefers the “hotter” area - it is found in the tropics. In addition, it is among the true of all the species of seals in the world that there are freshwater seals that live in Lake Ladoga, Baikal and in Finland.

As for the "eared ones", they live exclusively in the Pacific Ocean - this is if we talk about the Northern Hemisphere. But in the South they can be found in the south South America, as well as Australia - in the Indian Ocean.

Types of seals in Russia

Of the real seals, the fauna of our country boasts nine species (this does not include the endangered monk seal: there are only ten pairs in the Black Sea). Eared seals in Russia are represented by only two species: the northern fur seal and the sea lion (another name is the northern sea lion).

Of all the seals living in our country, you can only catch the Baikal seal, spotted seal (larga), bearded seal and harp seal (all of them are real).

Protected seal species

Many seals, unfortunately, exist on the verge of extinction. Therefore, they are listed in the Red Book and are specially protected animals. Among true seals, there are two such species - these are monk seals and the Caspian seal. At the same time, the first one is generally marked as disappearing - there are no more than five hundred of them in the world today. As for their eared counterparts, the sea lion is now rare, the population of which is no more than seventy thousand.

Although eared and earless seals differ in many ways from each other, they also have similarities, features that are characteristic of these animals.

  1. Earless seals are clumsy on the ground, but feel great in the water - they are able to reach speeds of up to twenty-four kilometers per hour. Eared seals are mobile both on land and in water; their maximum speed- twenty-seven kilometers per hour.
  2. They are predators. The fish is not chewed, but swallowed whole. Maximum - they can break into large pieces (they have very sharp teeth).
  3. They do not have lacrimal glands, but they know how to cry.
  4. The Baikal seal is a species of seal living in fresh water.
  5. To find out how old a dead seal is, the circles at the base of the fangs are counted.
  6. With the help of fat, seals maintain good buoyancy.
  7. Seal's pulse in the normal state is from fifty to one hundred and twenty beats per minute, and when diving - only four to fifteen beats.
  8. They have excellent hearing and very poor eyesight.
  9. Due to the white infant down, newborn seals are called pups. Belek is the subject of hunting for poachers because of its softness and density. Every year for this reason dies a large number of seal babies.
  10. Capture odors at a distance of several hundred meters.
  11. They breed once a year.
  12. To get rid of wool during molting, seals help each other: they scratch their backs.
  13. Seals have very sensitive sleep.
  14. The name eared seals was given in the early nineteenth century by the British zoologist John Gray.
  15. The most numerous species of seal is the crabeater.
  16. Eared seals waddle along the ground.
  17. They can "accidentally" swallow stones with food - up to eleven kilograms of stones were found in the stomach of dead animals.

We all are touched when we see a seal - especially if we come to the dolphinarium. But, rejoicing at the meeting with this cute animal, one should not forget that it is we, humans, who are the reason for the decrease in its population. So, it is in our power to do everything to prevent this from happening.

Eared and real:

All about the seals of our planet

How to distinguish a gray seal from a ringed seal? After all, many still confuse them. It would not be a crime to call a seal a seal, but experts do not recommend calling a seal a seal. And yet, only a small part of the animals with flippers that inhabit the seas, lakes and oceans of our planet are represented in the Baltic region. We will tell you why the name “pinnipeds” does not exist, how eared seals differ from real ones, and how many seals live in Russia.

Pinnipeds are outdated! Of course, out of habit, we all call animals with flippers instead of legs pinnipeds - fur seals, gray seals, and even walruses. However, scientists have long excluded this detachment from modern classification. According to modern ideas, these animals have different ancestors.

Eared seals and walruses are closest to bears - from there they have a small head, and hard brown fur, and small auricles. It is believed that these animals descended into the water in the Pacific Ocean, although the earliest remains of the eared seal were found in France, in the Atlantic basin.

And the closest relatives of real seals are mustelids. From there, an elongated spindle-shaped body, and short limbs in relation to the body. For the first time real seals descended into the water in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

The flippers of true and eared seals, as well as walruses, developed in parallel - in an evolutionary way: after all, the paws of animals hunting in the water are not very comfortable. It is in the structure of the flippers that eared seals differ from real ones. The latter cannot stand on their hind flippers, and when moving on land, they simply drag behind them. But the sea lions - this is also the name of the eared family - calmly step over with flippers along the shore: their hind limbs are bent forward at the heel joint and look like a flattened leg!

Where do seals live? In the Northern Hemisphere, eared seals are found only in the Pacific Ocean. And in the South - they are found at the southern tip of the South American continent in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as at southwest coast Australia in the Indian Ocean. Walruses live only in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent basins of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans- in general, around the North Pole.

Real seals also prefer colder waters - in polar or temperate latitudes. The only exception is the tropical monk seal. Subspecies of this animal inhabit the Black Sea and Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian Islands.

There are also three species of freshwater seals in the world, and two of them live in Russia. This is the Baikal seal and the Ladoga subspecies of the ringed seal. The third freshwater seal is the Saimaa ringed seal, the only endemic mammal in Finland. According to experts, resettlement into fresh waters occurred by accident, and is associated with the retreat of glaciers. Previously, seals inhabited the seas, and when the glacier left, they found themselves isolated in inland waters. and adapted to fresh water. By the way, experts say that only the Baikal seal can be considered a truly freshwater seal. And the Saimaa and Ladoga seals are just freshwater subspecies of the harbor seal.

What are seals? The eared seal family includes 7 genera and, according to various classifications, 14 or 15 species. Only two species live in Russia - the sea lion, or northern sea lion, and the northern fur seal. Both species are listed in both the Russian and International Red Books. The sea lion is considered endangered, and the northern fur seal is a vulnerable species, according to the IUCN classification.

Harp seal cubs are one of the cutest representatives of the animal world: a large head and huge eyes (like human babies) plus snow-white fur covering the whole body.
The Pomors, which have been fishing in the White Sea for a long time, gave their names to adult and pups of the harp seal, which are still used today. An adult male is called a lysun, an adult female is called an utelga, but seal pups, depending on age, can be called Zelentsy, pups, khokhlushs and serks. IN scientific literature all seal pups are called puppies. This is due to the fact that in the scientific classification, harp seals belong to the canine suborder.
Pregnancy in harp seals lasts longer than in humans - 11.5 months, although this period also includes 4.5 months, when the fertilized egg is in "hibernation" and does not develop.
In summer, seals live far in the North - at the edge of the Barents and Kara seas, near Svalbard, Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Severnaya Zemlya. late autumn begin to move south, and in January - February appear in the White Sea. For breeding, seals choose strong ice floes, arranging so-called "baby haulouts" on them, sometimes stretching for tens of kilometers and numbering tens of thousands of individuals. Ice has excellent antiseptic properties, because. low temperatures prevent bacteria from growing. Females give birth to seal pups from late January to late April, with most pups born between February 20 and March 5. The newborn reaches a length of 80-92 cm and a weight of 8-10 kg. The baby seal after birth is covered with thick and long hair, white, with a greenish tint, which is the result of exposure to amniotic fluid in the mother's womb.

green seal:


The cub does not stay like this for long: after 3-5 days the greenish tint disappears, and the cub becomes absolutely white. During this period, it is called Belkom.

white seal:

The female seal feeds the young with milk every few hours. Seal milk is very fatty (the share of fat is up to 50%), due to this, the pup gains up to three kilograms of weight per day.

The pups' eyes are constantly watery, so it seems that they are crying, but this is how their eyes are moistened. Another one salient feature seals - they constantly tremble, this is the regulation of heat in the body of a seal, which, unlike an adult, has not yet formed a thick fat layer. The coat of the pup consists, like that of polar bears, of transparent hollow hairs that let the sun's rays pass directly onto the black skin and warm it.

For a long time it was believed that the mother finds her cubs by voice, but this is not so. The seal, periodically leaving in search of food for herself, then finds her cub by individual smell.

Another misconception: if a man strokes a pup, then his mother will no longer approach him. This is wrong. If you are going on an ecotourism expedition, such as a tour to North Pole, then you will be able to iron the seals without fear, but you need to do this with gloves, because. puppies react negatively to temperatures that are too high for them human hand. You should never stroke a white seal, blocking the baby from his mother, otherwise the seal, having stopped seeing the cub, may rush to the attack.

Hunting for white seals and other harp seal pups was banned in Russia 5 years ago, so walruses are the only danger for seals.

Belek in the third week of life begins to molt, a silvery skin begins to peep under its white fur. Within a week, such a cub is called a khokhlush.

hooded seal:

Approximately one month after birth, the white fur is gradually replaced by the usual short and coarse coat of gray color for seals, darker on the back, with dark gray or black spots. Such a cub is called a serka.
Females reach puberty at the age of 4-8 years, males - about 8-9 years.

serk seal:

Common seal (lat. Phoca vitulina) is a born inhabitant of cold seas. Its entire body is covered with thick coarse fur, which protects its owner from wind and icy cold, and under the skin there is a thick layer of fat, so necessary for animals to withstand winter weather.

True, the degree of fatness of an ordinary seal is strongly influenced by the season: its weight, depending on the season, varies from 50 to 150 kg. The body length of adults can reach 180 cm, while males differ little from females in their dimensions. But all animals have their own individual pattern on the body, and their colors can vary significantly.

Most often in the color there are brown, red and gray tones. Small black and brown spots are scattered throughout the body, the shape of which resembles oblong strokes. Interestingly, females have the most of them on their back, while their belly and head are lighter. But the males have a thick pattern not only on the back, but also on the head and flippers.

The harbor seal has an egg-shaped head with a short muzzle. He has large expressive dark brown eyes. When the seal raises its head from the ground and looks at the observer with its attentive gaze, it seems that an incredible mind and a complete understanding of what is happening shines in it. The nostrils of these representatives of the true seal family are V-shaped, which distinguishes them from other species.

They have strong jaws strong teeth and big fangs. With their help, the seal hunts small octopuses, crabs and fish. And he eats everyone in a row, not particularly understanding the varieties. marine life who get in his way. Whether it’s a delicacy or some weedy fish, he doesn’t care at all.

Common seals live in the northern coastal regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. At the same time, the area of ​​​​their distribution is highly fragmented and is divided into two main parts: the Pacific and the Atlantic.

Seals that prefer the Pacific Ocean settle directly on its open shores, as well as in the Bering, Okhotsk and Japan seas. In the Atlantic region, seals choose the southern shores of Greenland, eastern part North America, as well as the coasts of Scandinavia and Iceland.

Interestingly, seals from the Atlantic region do not like ice very much, and they like to spend all their free time from feeding on high rocky areas of land, where they are not afraid of any predators. But their Pacific counterparts, at the first opportunity, leave the coast and move to drifting ice, where they spend the winter.

Both varieties of harbor seals are ignored open waters and try to stay in coastal areas. Their dislike is easy to explain - they are walking around somewhere nearby, from which it is not so easy to escape. Unless you quickly jump ashore, and for this you need to be nearby.

Once a year, females give birth to one cub. It is curious that the Pacific individuals like to do this on ice floes, and the Atlantic ones - on the shallows that form during low tides. In the latter, the embryonic fur cover disappears even in the womb, and a few hours after birth, they are already swimming with might and main. Pacific babies are born with white fur that protects them from the cold for 3-4 weeks while they feed on their mother's milk.

Females become sexually mature at the age of 3-4 years, males - a year or two later. Ordinary seals live for about 35-40 years, if, of course, they manage to avoid meeting with predators.