Harbor Seal

Description:

Harbor Seals fashion either dark spots on a light background, or dark on a light. They vary in color from brownish black to tan or grey; underparts are usually lighter. Both their body and flippers are short, and they have rounded heads, with distinctively V-shaped nostrils. Harbor seals have no ear flap, or pinna, so their ear canal may be visible. Including the head and flippers, they may reach an adult length of 1.85 meters (6.1 ft) and a weight of 55 to 168 kg (120 to 370 lb). Females are generally smaller than males. Another species the Harbor Seal shares the environment with is the Humpback Whale, when it returns from its wintering grounds near Hawaii. Harbor Seals share a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with eagles, as they eat the seal’s leftovers, giving the eagle a meal, and getting rid of scraps that may attract other scavengers who may cut in on the seals food supply. Seals carry around a lot of blubber, which is very useful in order to keep warm in the cold northern waters. The whiskers of a Harbor Seal allow it to pick up vibrations in the water and detect prey more easily. Sexual reproduction occurs underwater, though little is known about their reproduction, but it is thought to be polygamous. Gestation period is about 9 months. Five subspecies include: Eastern Atlantic harbor seals, Western Atlantic harbor seals, Eastern Pacific harbor seals, Western Pacific harbor seals, and Ungava seals.

Habitat:

Harbor seals prefer to frequent familiar resting sites. They can be found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, along with the Baltic and North Seas. They will travel up to 50 km in search of feeding grounds. Predators include various sharks and orcas, along with the occasional polar bear. Prey include menhaden, anchovy, sea bass, herring, mackerel, cod, whiting and flatfish, and occasionally shrimp, crabs, mollusks and squid.

Notes:

references: http://www.seals-world.com/types-of-seal... , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_seal... , http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=158 , http://www.nps.gov/glba/naturescience/an... , http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v39...