The common seal is one of the few inhabitants of our planet who prefer cold to heat. In fact, that is why they can be found only in remote snowy regions. Because of this, for a long time, scientists could not study these animals properly. And only now, when progress has stepped far forward, we have discovered their amazing life in a natural environment.
Spotted, or common, seal: habitat
All representatives of this species adore the cold climate. Therefore, almost all seals live in the western and eastern regions of the Arctic Ocean. That is, their range extends to the Bering, Bottfortovo and Chukchi seas. In addition, they can be found in the coastal waters of Greenland and the Barents Sea.
As for the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, here you can also meet representatives of this species. But the colonies living in these parts are not so numerous - the Arctic is considered to be the native home of seals.
Species of Spotted Seal
To date, the population of common seals totals about 500 thousand individuals. All animals are very similar to each other, but scientists distinguish several special subspecies. By and large, such a classification is associated with their habitat. However, there are some external differences between representatives of different colonies.
So, the common seal is divided into the following subspecies:
- East Atlantic - is the most common, lives along the coastlines of Northern Europe and Western Asia.
- West Atlantic subspecies - inhabits almost the entire eastern part of North America.
- Pacific colonies of these mammals inhabit western North America.
- The Ungava seal is a unique representative of this species, preferring to settle along fresh water bodies, and not in the open sea.
- Island seal - lives on small patches of land scattered across the ocean off the coast of East Asia.
Appearance
What do we know about the external features that the common seal possesses? Photos of these animals, taken in all parts of the Arctic, allowed scientists to analyze the whole species as a whole. A curious fact: almost all subspecies of the common seal look like purebred relatives. The only exceptions are Pacific individuals who are slightly larger than their counterparts in body size.
But back to the exterior. The color of seals can change throughout their life. However, most often the color of the fur varies in the limit of a reddish-gray or brown hue. At the same time, dark spots are scattered randomly throughout the body of the animal. In particular, it is because of them that this species is sometimes called "spotted".
As for the size, on average, an ordinary seal grows to 1.8 meters. In this case, their weight ranges from 150-165 kilograms. It should also be noted that females always have much smaller proportions than males.
Habits and habitat
The common seal prefers to settle on rocky shores along coastal waters. At the same time, he tries to avoid open land, so as not to attract the attention of strangers. A curious fact is that, unlike its close relatives, the common seal does not migrate. This species remains in one place for a long time and leaves it only in case of emergency.
As for the diet, in this regard, animals are real predators. They hunt mainly in the water, because this element is their home. As their prey, they choose the least nimble fish: capelin, herring, saffron cod, polar cod and so on. However, if there is no such gain nearby, seals can also enjoy simple invertebrates.
Seal breeding
At about the 5th year of life, males for the first time show interest in the opposite sex. But females grow up much faster, their sexual activity begins at the age of 3. Pregnancy lasts 11 months. At the same time, only one cub is born, only in very rare cases can a female bear a couple of babies.
On average, male seals live about 25-30 years, which is quite normal for their species. “Ladies” are more fortunate, as their age limit varies between 35-40 years. Scientists cannot fully understand the nature of such a phenomenon, but suggest that this is due to the reproductive function of females.
Natural enemies of seals
Many people believe that the polar bear is the main enemy of the common seal. This statement is not entirely true. Despite the fact that the clubfoot predator really likes to hunt plump mammals, only a tiny fraction of these animals die from its paws.
Where killer whales pose a greater danger. These marine predators in the blink of an eye are capable of catching and eating gaping prey. In addition, only the fastest seals can escape from killer whales, and only then escaping ashore in time.