Seal, seal, fur seal pictures photo video. Sea lions… How are they different from other seals? fur seal and seal differences

While viewing photos from Spain, where Kirill spent two wonderful weeks ;-) we ran into a problem... we could not determine who is depicted in the photo from the dolphinarium: a seal, fur seal or is it a sea lion... and is there any difference between them at all?

Sea lions are just one of the many types of seals. Seals (together with walruses) are classified as pinnipeds (in Latin, this means "with legs-fins"). The limbs of seals, as the name suggests, are flippers; one pair of front and one pair of rear.

Seals are divided into two groups - true seals, which have only auditory openings, but no pinnae, and eared seals, so named because they have small pinnae. The group of real seals includes the gray seal, the harp seal and the huge elephant seal, which can reach a length of 6.5 m and a weight of 3.5 tons. Sea lions and fur seals are eared seals.

There are other differences between sea lions and their earless relatives besides the difference in ears. At sea ​​lions flippers are longer than those of earless seals. Their flippers are wing-like and have no hair, while seal flippers are covered with hair. In sea lions, the back flippers are bent forward, due to which the animals on the shore lean on the ground with all their flippers. In real seals, the rear flippers do not bend forward, therefore, moving along the ground, they touch the front flippers and glide on their stomachs like caterpillars.

Fur seals and lions are two different subfamilies.

sea ​​lions(lat. Otariinae) - a subfamily of eared seals, which includes the following five monotypic species:

• Northern sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), also called sea lion
• California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)
• Southern sea lion (Otaria flavescens)
• Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea)
• New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri)

Seals(lat. Arctocephalinae) - subfamily

Sea lion - the representatives of the eared seal family got their name due to their close resemblance to land lions. Male sea lions make a snarl-like growl African lion. On their heads you can see the same shaggy manes. The pinniped animal (in Latin “with feet-fins”) is streamlined, bulky, but flexible and slender, capable of reaching more than two meters in length. Let's get to know the marine life closer in the article.

Sea lion - description and characteristics

Many are interested in how much an adult sea lion weighs? The mass of a flipper mammal reaches 300 kg. Although the sea lion is quite bulky and looks too big and unwieldy, it feels great for its weight. Female sea lions are much smaller than males by several times - an average of 90 kg. The animal's head small size, outwardly resembles the head of a dog: an elongated, flexible neck, huge bulging eyes. On the muzzle are large, dense whiskers. At the top of the head of the lions is a real hairstyle - a tuft.

The fur of marine life has a brown-black tint. The coat is quite short and sparse, so it is not particularly valued, unlike fur seal fur. Due to the presence of thick limbs-fins, animals deftly move along the coast. Their seal relatives are not as nimble as lions. The body of animals is much more plastic than that of relatives.

Sea lions easily overcome long distances in the water and show real acrobatic etudes. With the help of flippers, they professionally maneuver in the expanses of water and easily redirect their bulky body in any direction. Thus, getting food is not difficult, and the marine life has won the title of a successful getter. Going in search of food, the lion can swim several kilometers from the coast.

Usually lions settle on the sea and ocean coasts, regardless of coverage. It can be rocky shores and sandy beaches. Can be found even in grassy thickets.

Depending on the type of lion, animals can live in different territories:

• The northern sea lion, the sea lion, lives on the Pacific shores and islands, which are nearby. Prefer Canada, USA, Japan. On the shores, animals are located in large herds.
• New Zealand lions prefer in the subantarctic islands, near New Zealand. Most of the rest on the beaches of Auckland.
• California sea lion settled in northern waters Pacific Ocean.
• The southern view is a frequenter of the shores and ocean waters of the South American regions.
• Australian lions rookery in the south and west of Australia.

It is also worth mentioning that Marine life have long found their place in dolphinariums and circuses. Fur seal and sea lion participate in show performances in aquariums, learn to perform various tricks. It is often believed that these cute animals are absolutely safe. Is the sea lion a predator? IN wild nature A 300 kg trickster can be quite dangerous. The sea lion is a predator, quite aggressive. There are cases when they attacked fishermen and swimmers. There are even more known cases of attacks by lions than by sharks.

Like all relatives, predators live in herds, but their numbers are not as high as those of their comrades-in-arms - seals. Some species can swim for a long time in open waters and not return to shore for several days. Therefore, when traveling long distances on a ship, you can see these animals in the middle of the ocean or sea.

Sea lions prefer to stay in the places they have chosen initially, not being engaged in "wandering" from place to place. They live several tens of kilometers from land and communicate with each other by sound urges. Their voices are like the roar of land lions.

What does a sea lion eat?

What does the inhabitant of the "big" waters - the sea lion eat? It feeds on marine gifts: fish, octopuses, crayfish and any edible little thing that gets along the way. They find prey at the bottom of the sea and ocean, at a depth of up to 100 meters. When a lion runs into a hedgehog fish, it swells to such an extent that the lion cannot bite through it with its limited mouth.

The fish are pursued at high speed, maneuvering between shells, algae and sea caves. In the expanses of water, lions move as easily as birds fly across the sky, actively rowing with their front limbs and hind flippers.

Marine life does not accumulate large layers of fat and do not eat in reserve. They feed daily on fresh seafood and have no problems finding food.

If marine mammals are on a hill, they can safely jump from it into the water from a height of up to 20 meters. Favorite delicacy, one of the varieties of lions - sea lions, are: herring, pollock, capelin, halibut, gobies, flounder. The eared family can eat seaweed, octopuses. Since the lion is a predator, it can even attack a shark. Adult males, if they really want to eat, can attack a penguin.

Some fishermen testify that sea lions attacked their catch.

Sea lion breeding

The mating season occurs once a year right on the shores where sea lions live. They behave much calmer than, for example, fur seals. Males occupy beach area and protect it from strangers. Sometimes sea lions come to grips with competitors, trying to win back their rights to females. Females gather in herds and wait for who will become the strongest male inseminator.

Sometimes the fights get big. However, there is no death or bloodshed. Although, as elsewhere, there are exceptions. When young males want to infiltrate a herd of older females, large males defend their harem. Then violent skirmishes occur where some lions may come out of the fight to be injured.

Each male collects about a dozen females around him. The owner is vigilant to ensure that his "ladies" do not look at other males and especially do not have relationships with them. Those individuals that do not breed move away from the rest of the rookery to the side. When the female enters estrus, she lies down next to the chosen male and presses tightly against his body. Without taking their eyes off the lion, they begin to mate. This happens in water or on land within an hour.

Pregnancy of lionesses lasts 12 months. They give birth to little sea lion cubs, and at the same time they begin to mate again with males. The female is ready for the next pregnancy already 2 weeks after birth.

Lion cubs are born with golden fur, from 20 kilogram weight. At first, the female mother is not separated from the newborn. When she becomes pregnant again, she moves away from the baby and begins to swim out into the sea, losing interest in her born lion cub. Those females that continue to feed their babies with 30% fat milk stay with the babies for 6-7 months.

After giving birth, the female carefully licks the baby, transferring her scent to him, so as not to confuse him with other newborns. In the first half hour, she exchanges sound passwords with the lion cub, which help to find the cub.

Life span of sea lions

How long does a sea lion live? After the animal begins to molt, young individuals gather in a separate herd. They live separately until they reach sexual maturity. Females reach maturity at 2.5-3 years. Males undergo serious competition, so they can acquire a harem only after 5 years. The life span of a mammal is 20 years.

The difference between sea lions and seals

The difference between a sea lion and a seal is obvious. According to the way of life, the two varieties of relatives differ from each other. The differences are as follows:

• sea ​​lions maneuver more dexterously in the water, these animals are quite dexterous and flexible "acrobats";
• Their skin is also different. Lions have a meager fur coat and small fat reserves, which cannot be said about a fur seal. Therefore, seals are hunted much more often, and in Japan one of the species of these animals was even completely destroyed;
• there are 5 types of lions and 8 types of seals;
• Lions have large long flippers and a massive body. Smaller fur seals.

It is worth noting that there are also a lot of similarities. Considering the family community, as well as external similarities. The Southern sea lion has similarities with seals: in males, a crest grows on the head, the same as in seals.

Enemies of sea lions

Significantly reduce the life of lions - sharks and killer whales. Predators can reach speeds up to 55 km / h. Killer whales are the most aggressive species of toothed whales and are considered the most dangerous enemies for sea lions.

Animals may die earlier from a collision with ships. Sea lions are very smart and quick-witted, they, suspecting the danger from sharks, are looking for help from people! There were times when an animal swam up to the yachts and asked to be rescued, showing it with all its appearance.

Lions are lucky that their hair is not valued among fishermen. And they are not economically beneficial for manufacturing enterprises.

Types of sea lions

There are five types of marine life:

• Northern;
• Southern;
• Californian;
• Australian;
• New Zealand.

Northern

The northern sea lion has another name - the sea lion. This species inhabits Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, Alaska. Of all the subspecies of sea lions, the sea lion is the largest subspecies with pronounced sexual characteristics.

This view is truly enormous. Adult males reach a length of 3-3.5 meters, and weight up to 500-1000 kg. Females are much smaller, but relative to other subspecies - very large. Weight is 250-350 kg. Representatives have a light red skin color. Females are very graceful, flexible, the head is small.

The difference of this species from the rest is determined by socialization. They live only on the northern shores and coastal zones. Sometimes they are found on ice floes. They are fixed to the place and do not migrate to other territories.

IN annual cycle animals are separated by periods: migration to the sea and stay on land. Male sea lions become capable of breeding at about 5 years old, but they are allowed to approach females only at 7-8 years old. Mating starts from late May to early June.

Reproduction is based on the fertilization of many females by one male. This type of sea lion is not very active in protecting its harem. They are "selfish" and in the harem they solve only their own needs. After the birth of the cub, the females mate again after 10 days.

The diet consists of shellfish and fish. Sometimes they attack fur seals. In Russia, this species is listed in the Red Book, as it is on the verge of extinction. Scientists explained this situation by bad ecology.

Californian

The California sea lion lives in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, it is also called the northern one. There are 190 thousand of them. Every year their number increases by 5%.

Lions differ from other species in their unique ingenuity and adaptability to any situation. Even if cataclysms occur in nature, animals quickly rebuild and survive. They can often be found in aquariums and circuses, zoos. He is easy to train and friendly with humans, despite his predatory roots. It is the only species that can survive in a limited area.

Specially trained sea lions participated in military maritime operations. Disruptive mechanisms were installed on animals.

The California sea lion is the king of marine life. Outside the mating season, males and young lions move north, while females stay with their cubs in rookeries or go south. Therefore, females and males keep apart and meet only once a year.

Animals spend their free time on the coast. They are real "sleepyheads", they like to have a good sleep, lounging next to each other. IN daytime massaged on stones or scratched with the claws of a neighbor.

The diet of the California lion consists of marine life: squid, salmon and herring. The lion swallows small fish right in the depths of the sea, and eats large prey on land. If a large school of fish is found, then the lions go hunting together.

In the 16th century, meat and animal skins were much more in demand than they are now. At this time, animals began to be massively exterminated and the population decreased markedly.

The mating season is from May to September. At this time, the lions become especially active and settle down on the beach with their harem. They give birth to a cub weighing up to 6 kg, 70 cm long. One female has one lion cub.

• the animal swims at 30 km/h and can move along the shore with even greater speed;
• can hold its breath in the depths of the sea for 10 minutes and dive under water to a depth of 250 m.

Southern

The southern subspecies of the sea lion is a representative of the South American regions. The male reaches almost 3 meters in length, weight up to 300 kg. Females are much smaller up to 100 kg. The skin is dark brown, lighter underneath. The head, neck, shoulders are covered with a large tuft of lush hair.

Southern lions live in the Falkland Islands, on the shores South America, parts of Brazil. IN sea ​​waters squid, octopus, fish are mined. They often attack penguins. According to the observations of scientists, only the southern subspecies will attack penguins.

During breeding, a lion harem can include up to 15-18 females. Males carefully control their females and watch that they do not move into a neighboring harem. Males from other sites constantly want to steal a neighbor's female into their harem.

Sea lionesses give birth to one cub weighing 15 kg. After 3-4 days, the females leave for food, and the babies are left alone. If they get hungry, other females feed them.

Animals are dying because of sharks, killer whales, at the hands of fishermen and because of chemicals that enter the ocean.

Australian

Individuals of the Australian subspecies are smaller than their counterparts. A male 2.5 meters long weighs about 300 kg, and a female 1.5 meters up to 100 kg. Females and males differ from each other even in color: dark brown in sea lions and silver in lionesses.

Animals are located along the coast of Australia, the nearest islands. They do not migrate and adhere to the places on which they were originally based, even outside the breeding season. The longest migration distance reached no more than three hundred kilometers.

In their behavior during the mating season, the subspecies of lions does not differ from direct relatives. When males come to a herd of females, they win the right to the harem they like. There are constant clashes in the herds due to young males who want to get someone else's lioness. Australian lion males are highly aggressive, they are like "jealous" guard their females so that they do not leave their range. With special enthusiasm they drive away other males, sometimes it comes to slaughter.

An individual of this species is considered a rarity. There are only twelve thousand sea lions.

New Zealand

Predatory mammal from the family of eared seals. The skin is colored black with a brownish tint. Thanks to the mane on the shoulders, they look quite large up to 2.5 m, females up to 1.8 m. Distributed on subtropical islands near New Zealand. The name of the subspecies refers to their territorial location. Most often found in Auckland.

The behavior is no different from other subspecies of sea lions. They also arrange fights during the mating season and protect their grief from the "hungry" young. The most dexterous and tenacious individuals win, the rest are forced out to unpromising places.

There are about fifteen thousand New Zealand lions. In the 19th century, the animals were caught by fishermen and mass extermination. In almost a few decades, the number has decreased by five times. These individuals were first mentioned in 1806. Today they are protected.

Interesting facts about sea lions

Interesting Sea Lion Facts:

• animals have a hoarse and rather sharp, rough voice;
• in Japan, there is a male who has a very thin and gentle voice, which is unusual for sea lions. His songs come to listen to the visitor of the oceanarium;
• mammals are real intellectuals and actors;
• communicate with each other with a specific set of sounds. The same sounds warn each other of danger;
• most often, California lions have a tendency to get lung worm disease. Even 50 years ago, it led to the death of animals;
• according to the laws it is allowed to catch animals for zoos and circus performances. Also, marine inhabitants participate in medical experiments due to their ability to hold their breath for a long time under water;
• The dental jaw of the animal has the same canonical shape and is adapted to capture slippery food.

Sea lions are worth seeing. The most interesting pinnipeds can be seen in aquariums and circuses. There they are trained and safe for people. However, in the wild, it is best not to try to stroke their fur. It is fraught with sad consequences.

Seals are a group of animals that includes two families: true seals and eared seals. Outwardly, they are very similar: a torpedo-shaped streamlined body, limbs are transformed into flippers, they live on the sea coast, swim well and eat fish. However, their origin is different. The ancestors of eared seals are bears, and true seals are descended from ancient mustelids. Thus, a group of seals - polyphyletic, that is, it includes representatives descended from different ancestors.

The eared seal family includes two subfamilies: fur seals and sea lions. As you understand, neither one nor the other has anything to do with cats. It is believed that fur seals got their name either because of their luxurious mustaches or because of their thick fur. And sea lions are like the king of beasts with their growl.

How to distinguish real seals from eared ones? First of all, as the name says, eared seals have well-shaped, clearly visible auricles - sort of funny little tubes on the sides of their heads. True seals do not have external auricles, for which they are sometimes called earless. Just don't think that real seals are deaf! They have inner ears, and they hear perfectly. And the ear canal during diving is closed by a special muscle so that water does not get into it.

How else do real seals differ from eared ones? Method of movement on land and in water.

Eared seals have long front flippers on which they rely when moving on land. The rear flippers are bent forward. On the ground, eared seals move quite quickly, jumping, pushing off the ground with flippers.

Real seals can't do this because their hind flippers don't fold back. And their front flippers are much shorter than their back ones. Therefore, on land, real seals are rather helpless and clumsy: they can only crawl on their belly with the help of undulating movements like caterpillars: first they cling to the ground with their claws, then pull up the back of the body, and then push the front of the body forward and pull the back to it. Eared seals do not need to cling to the ground with their claws when moving along it, so you will not see claws on their powerful flippers.

Fins of real and eared seals

In the water, real seals swim due to the movements of the hind flippers, and eared seals use the front flippers, using the rear ones as a rudder.

Seal subfamilies differ in cover. True seals have a short coat, and some species have no coat at all. Eared seals have thick, coarse hair.

The habitats of eared and true seals do not intersect: true seals live mainly in the Arctic and on the coast of Antarctica, while fur seals and sea lions live in the North Pacific Ocean between Asia and North America, off the coast of South America, Antarctica, South West Africa and southern Australia.

real seals

Newborn baby seals are covered with white fur, which is why they are called pups.
Pictured: a baby harp seal

eared seals

Sea lion (Steller's northern sea lion)

Northern fur seal (sea cat)

With eared and earless seals sorted out. And how can you distinguish "eared ones" - a fur seal from a sea lion?

Sea lions are larger animals than fur seals. But differences in the size of females and males (sexual dimorphism) are more pronounced in fur seals, in which females are much smaller than males. Compare yourself. The largest representative of sea lions, the sea lion reaches a length of 3-3.5 m and a weight of 500-1000 kg. In female sea lions, the body length reaches 260 cm, the average weight is 350 kg. In northern fur seals living near sea lions, males reach maximum length 2.2 meters and weight 320 kg, while females grow up to a maximum of 1.4 meters, and Weight Limit they have only 70 kg.

Fur seals and sea lions also differ in the strategy of preparing for winter: fur seals accumulate a thick layer by autumn subcutaneous fat and sea lions keep themselves warm in winter with their fur. Although it should be noted that the fur of the sea lion is short and not very thick, besides, it lacks a lush undercoat, like the fur of fur seals, therefore it is less valued. So fur seals, one might say, were unlucky compared to sea lions: fat and chic fur made them an object of mass fishing.

By the way...

In the 9th episode of the 7th season of the series "Doctor House" there is such a dialogue between the girl Daisy and her dad, whose name is Jack:

Daisy: What's the difference between a sea lion and a seal?
Jack: Um, seals tell the truth, but a sea lion"s always lyin"?
Daisy: A sea lion has ears.
Jack: Yeah, that's right. I forgot.

Translation:

Daisy: What is the difference between a sea lion and a seal?
Jack: HM. Seals tell the truth, but sea lions always lie? ( pun: lie - lie, lion - lion).
Daisy: The sea lion has ears!
Jack: Yes, exactly, I just forgot.

Have you ever heard the expression "seal rookery"? Although the imagination instantly draws a picture with fluffy and tailed felines, in fact, of course, it means a bunch of seals.

For his habit of wallowing on the beach and sausage-shaped appearance seals have gained fame as extremely lazy and clumsy animals. To dispel this illusion, it is worth seeing a seal in the water at least once. Living in two elements at once is not at all easy, but seals cope with this task.

Legs, tails... most importantly, flippers!

It is easy to get confused in seals. Many of them look the same, others differ slightly, others stand out quite strongly, but at the same time they belong to the same species as the first.

Fur seals, leopards and lions, bearded seals, elephant seals - what is the difference between them? And also quite incomprehensible sea lions, seals and hooded seals. By the way, where to classify walruses - to seals or not? They also rake with flippers and arrange rookeries.

The notorious flippers - common feature, according to which at one time ( early XIX century) mass marine mammals biologists grouped together pinnipeds. It was believed that since these animals lead a similar lifestyle and look almost the same, they must be relatives.

This theory existed until the end of the 20th century, when it became clear that, despite a fair amount of similarity, not all seals carry the same genetic code. After much debate, the scientific community divided the pinnipeds into true seals, eared seals and walruses.

Appearance, behavior and diet - everything in which pinnipeds were similar turned out to be quirks of convergent evolution - when the descendants of two initially different animals, in the course of adapting to a new environment, turn into almost twins. What can I say? Nature loves to have a good joke.

Real, big-eared and not so

At first glance, the difference between real and eared seals can be called purely symbolic. But it is worth delving a little into the anatomy, and the changes will become noticeable. True seals do not have auricles, although they hear no worse than eared ones. Their hind flippers are elongated, cannot be used as a support when walking, and generally resemble a fish tail.

eared seal

In the water, real seals move precisely due to this “tail”, while the front paws work like a steering wheel. Eared seals, on the other hand, row exclusively with their front limbs, steering with their hind flippers.

On land, the eared ones are a little more agile, since the rear flippers work as legs. Walruses are closer in body structure to eared seals, but they are usually assigned to a separate family - walruses.

Young

If some species of mammals have practically not changed over millions of years, then the evolution of seals was delayed in full. True seals share ancestors with the bear family, eared seals with the mustelid family.

It has been proven that the ancestors of the eared pinnipeds looked more like otters than the fur seals we are used to. They swam well and had membranes, but mostly lived on land, and their paws were not much like flippers.

The most ancient of the relatives of true seals already had a typical “tail of flippers”, but moved on the ground much better and was covered with thick hair. Nevertheless, both those and other animals over time (about 15 million years) preferred to move away from land in order to more firmly connect their lives with water.

Thousands of couch potatoes

Seals are extremely sociable. Although many of them lead a solitary lifestyle, for three months a year everything changes. During the mating season, pinnipeds arrange huge rookeries on the banks and ice floes, where they establish social contacts to create families, reproduce and raise offspring.

The number of participants in such "meetings" is truly monstrous - up to 100 thousand individuals! Even if you look at the photo, and not live, the picture is more than impressive: a piece of the coast is completely filled with seal carcasses.

Sea Elephant

Although rookeries are a mandatory attribute for all pinnipeds, different subspecies communicate with each other with their in a unique way. For example, elephant seals have a rather rude behavior in sexual life. The male keeps a harem of females, copulating with them even against their will, while crushing the cubs with a huge carcass.

Violent fights constantly occur between males, often with a fatal outcome. Walruses, not much yielding sea ​​elephants in size, do not keep harems, limiting themselves to one companion for life.

Ringed seal (ringed seal)

And here sea ​​leopards they do not establish pairs at all - only a temporary connection for the appearance and education of offspring. Then these formidable predators, which many other seals are afraid of, live exclusively alone.

Pinnipeds are also happy to get to know people and are easy to train. As a rule, California sea lions, from the "fake", eared seals, act as "circus seals".

sea ​​lions

But there are enough candidates besides them: walruses, seals, fur seals, spotted seals ... Few seals cannot be taught tricks - as a rule, all of them are attentive and quick-witted.

Sea shifters

It is curious that seals in the mythology of many unrelated countries have traditionally been associated with werewolves. In the legends of the Inuit (self-name of the Eskimos), seals and walruses act as the founders of the clan, totem animals. They turned into people, taught them to swim and fish, mixed offspring arose from them.

In myths Ancient Greece beautiful nymphs from the retinue of the sea god Proteus, the son of Poseidon, turned into seals to avoid attention from people. Celtic legends also spoke of beautiful female seals, but in their function they were closer to the sirens - with their singing they forced the sailors to go to certain death.

Walrus

In Ireland, the magic seals were called selkie, or roans. Myths about their origin vary: whether they were cursed and banished into the sea people, or, on the contrary, a proud sea people. In any case, the Selkies acted as peace-loving creatures, capable of evil only if they were strongly offended. Marriages between selkie and humans were discouraged—sooner or later the shifters returned to the sea.

In the Scandinavian countries, seals were even considered fallen angels or the reborn souls of drowned people.

No other animal, except maybe wolves, has been honored with so many legends associated with werewolves. Perhaps the whole point is that seal skins were very often used to make comfortable and warm clothes that were worn by everyone, from young to old? Or does the answer lie in the friendly disposition of many pinnipeds and their willingness to communicate with people?

Sea leopard excellent hunter on penguins

Unfortunately for ourselves, seals are primarily useful to us in their dead form. Clothes are sewn from their skins, seal fat is used in medicine, meat, of course, is eaten with pleasure. The tusks of walruses, as well as the teeth and bones of other pinnipeds, are turned into tools and works of art by the northern peoples.

The only thing that saves seals from too close attention of people is that they mostly live where it is colder. However, on this moment many species of pinnipeds are listed in the Red Book.

Striped seal or lionfish

Of course, it cannot be said that the situation is absolutely deplorable. Seals, both real and eared, are still very, very numerous—in most species, hundreds of thousands of individuals, although they are hunted not only by humans, but also by killer whales and polar bears.

However, do not forget that even the Chukchi and Eskimos, who hunted pinnipeds for hundreds of years, always spoke of them with incredible respect. Tales of werewolf seals do not appear out of nowhere, and the seal, like many other mammals, is quite suitable as the younger brother of man. Nature loves not only to joke, but also to hint in plain text: to younger brothers must be treated with care.

Sergey YEVTUSHENKO

Seals live in almost all latitudes of both hemispheres of the earth. There are seals both in the Arctic and Antarctica, in tropical and temperate latitudes ocean. Seals are also found in closed seas and lakes, on the territory of our country on Lake Baikal, Ladoga, in the Caspian Sea, in the Baltic, there are representatives in the waters of the Black Sea and, of course, the main population in the waters of the Northern Arctic Ocean.

The seal belongs to the carnivorous order (previously pinnipeds, now the classification has been changed). The main species are the true seal and the eared seal. These include the harp seal, striped, spotted, Caspian, white-bellied, sea ​​hare, a monk, as well as a seal. The seal is perfectly adapted to life in the water and it comes out on land only for breeding and rare rest.

The front flippers are adapted for rowing, a kind of oars, and the rear ones act as a rudder. The flippers are equipped with membranes between the fingers, and there are claws on the fingers. The seal is an excellent swimmer and can dive to depths of up to 500 meters, but this is often not necessary. The seal feeds on fish, small squid and cuttlefish, various mollusks. The seal is a pronounced predator, plant food completely absent from his diet.

The next representative of the seal, the main types Baikal seal, Caspian and Kolchataya. As we understand from the name, some come from the habitat, and the ringed seal has such a name because of the rings on the skin. Nerpa is not the largest representative of the seal detachment, average length it is about 160 cm, and the weight reaches 130 kg. The females of the seal, like all representatives of true seals, are slightly larger than males. The seal feeds mainly on fish, while it has a fairly high swimming speed, which makes it easy to chase and catch up with its prey.

The seal is also an excellent diver, for example, the Baikal seal can dive to a depth of up to 400 meters and at the same time be under water for 25-30 minutes. The ringed seal, in addition to the seas of the Arctic Ocean, also lives in the Baltic Sea. For the winter, the seal makes a nest on the ice in the snow, from which a manhole leads into the water, or as they are also called air. The main vent of the seal makes about 40-50 cm in diameter, and around the main one, at a distance of up to 200 meters, the seal builds additional vents of a smaller diameter.

The seal acquires the ability to construct airways in the ice from birth. With their claws, the seal scratches holes in the ice from below, which are shaped like an inverted funnel. The seal can also sleep under water, while its vital cycles are suspended, and the oxygen supply can last for several hours. During the breeding season, the female gives birth to one, less often two puppies, which have white fluffy and very dense fur. little cub the seal does not climb into the water, but sits in its shelter, waiting for the mother to return from the hunt and feed him with her fat and nutritious milk.

And finally, one more representative, an eared seal. This order includes the northern fur seal, South American, New Zealand, Galapagos, subtropical fur seals, etc. Also here are the sea lion, sea lion. As we understand, the eared seal is distinguished by the presence of pronounced auricles, which is completely absent in real seals. The fur seal is much larger than real seals, the average size is up to 2.5 meters in length, and the fur seal can weigh up to 400 kg.

Northern fur seal lives in the waters northern seas, he spends most of his time in the water and only occasionally goes to land or an ice floe for rest, as well as during the breeding season. The male fur seal is much larger than the female, sometimes by 3-4 times, while they have very interesting relationships during the mating season. The male fur seal is the first to swim to the place of lairage and the largest and strongest individuals occupy convenient places. At the same time, quite fierce and bloody battles for territory take place.

When the fur seal finishes carving out the territory, females swim up, they choose places on the haulouts occupied by males, while the most prestigious sites are in the middle of the haulout, and weaker males get the haulouts at the edges or nothing at all. In this case, the fur seal is forced to wait until next year, in the hope that during this time he will get stronger and will be able to win back his territory for breeding next time.

Having sailed to the bed and having chosen a territory for childbirth and subsequent new conception, which occurs 10-12 days after childbirth, the females form a kind of harem around the male. An interesting detail, the male fur seal often encroaches on the harem of his neighbor, having improved the moment, the fur seal grabs someone else's female by the collar and drags her to his territory. Usually this event becomes noticeable to the owner of the harem and the fur seal rushes to win back a member of his family, he grabs the female with his teeth and a kind of tug begins. And given the fact that the male fur seal is several times larger than the female, this division often leads to bloody consequences for the female, and sometimes to death.

The female fur seal feeds her cub with milk for an average of 3-4 months, after which he begins to feed on small fish on his own. At the same time, periodically the female goes to the sea to feed, and the small fur seal remains on the shore alone. The fur seal feeds on fish and small cephalopods, squid, cuttlefish. Like all representatives of seals, the fur seal is an excellent swimmer and dives deep enough in search of prey.

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