ABOUT FURSEAL

 

Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds belonging to the subfamily Arctocephalinae in the family Otariidae. They are much more closely related to sea lions than true seals, and share with them external ears (pinnae), relatively long and muscular foreflippers, and the ability to walk on all fours. They are marked by their dense underfur, which made them a long-time object of commercial hunting. Eight species belong to the genus Arctocephalus and are found primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, while a ninth species also sometimes called fur seal, the Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus), belongs to a different genus and inhabits the North Pacific. The fur seals in Arctocephalus are more closely related to sea lions than they are to the Northern fur seal, but all three groups are more closely related to one another than they are to true seals. Fur seals are sea lions not seals. They have forward-pointing back limbs, which allows them to get around on land, and have soft dense fur next to their skin. Coarse guard hairs provide a dense outer coat. Males remain in polar regions the year round but females migrate to warmer climates to give birth to their young. One of the main that distinguished sea lions and fur seals is that the latter has thick underfur.

The Fur seals thick layer of fur grows underneath coarse protective hair. But this hair does little to keep them warm when they dive deep in the water. To keep warm in deep seawater and on land seals and sea lions need blubber. Sea lions and fur seals have relatively thin layers of blubber but have more hair. Fur seals were once extensively hunted for their furs. The fur is waterproof and very warm for the seals on land and at in surface waters. Their fur loses it warmth when the animal dives because under great pressure the water squeezes out the relatively warm air between the hairs.

  AVERAGE LIFE SPAN: 12-30 Years.

 WEIGHTS OF AVERAGE FUR SEAL: A Male seal lion weights on average about 247kg-353kg (770lb) and is about 2-2.3 m (7.5ft) long, while the female sea lion weighs 57kg-107kg (236lb) and is 1.2-1.6 m (5.2ft) long. Pups are born around 6 kg and are 60–70 cm long.

 LARGEST AND SMALLEST FUR SEAL: The largest Fur Seal is CAPE AND AUSTRALIAN (OR) BROWN FUR SEAL which can weighs 360kg (790lb) and grow to a length of 2.27m (7.4ft). The smallest Fur Seal is GALAPAGOS FUR SEAL which can weighs 64kg (140lb) compared to New Zealand Fur Seal, the next smallest species, whose females weigh around 50 kg (110lb).

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: External ear flaps and stocky build.
HABITAT: Cold Waters and Rocky Land.

CONSUPTION OF FOOD: Squid, Fish and Birds.

FAVOURITE FOOD: Squid.

PREDATORS: Leopard Seal, Sharks, Killer Whale.

DIET: Carnivore.

SPEED OF FUR SEAL: 27 MPH.

GESTATION PERIOD: 11.5 Months.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Galapagos fur seal and Northern fur seal.

SENSES OF FUR SEAL

Fur seals have sharp eyesight and keen hearing. They have small ears, unlike the earless or hair seals. Although they breathe air, seals are most at home in the water and may stay at sea for weeks at a time eating fish, squid, birds, and tiny shrimp-like krill. Fur seals may swim by themselves or gather in small groups.

SLEEPING POSITION OF FUR SEAL

Fur seals sleep in water most of the time in a lateralized posture on the side while they paddle with only one front flipper to maintain the position (e.g., the left front flipper paddles while sleeping on the left side and the right front flipper when on the right side. When sleeping in the water, fur seals primarily engage in unihemispheric slow wave sleep (USWS). During USWS, seals float on their side (left in this case) with the hind flippers raised out of the water holding the upward facing fore flipper.

DIVING ADAPTATION OF FUR SEAL

Their eyes are adapted to see under water. They have large, dark eyes, which allow them to see in the depths of the ocean where it can be very dark, even during the day. They need to breathe air to survive, so when they dive under water they use strong muscles to close off their nostrils. Adaptation of oxygen storage capacity of blood and muscle in diving mammals is an important factor in their diving endurance, and ranges from roughly equivalent to terrestrial mammals to nearly ten times as much, in proportion to the duration of dives and the metabolic demand during dives.

BREEDING METHODS AND HABITS OF FUR SEAL

During the breeding season, they come ashore and establish territories. Females are defended by the resident male in these territories. During the gestation period females remain mostly at sea and only come ashore just before the birth of the single pup. Females will then mate again usually 6-10 days after birth. Eight fur seal species inhabit coastal regions in the Southern Hemisphere. Their habitat spans Southern Australia, New Zealand, Africa, the Galapagos Islands, South America and Antarctica. The remaining species live in the Pacific Rim region. The southernmost habitat for northern fur seals is Southern California. They range northward to the Bering Sea and are also found in the seas north of Japan. When breeding season arrives, however, these social animals gather on shore in very large numbers. Powerful males, known as bulls, establish territories and gather harems of up to 40 females, battling their rivals to establish dominance. During this season, coastlines are filled with roaring, growling, honking seals.

Female fur seals, or cows, give birth during this breeding season, then mate again just a few days later. The following year they will return to give birth to a single pup after a nearly yearlong pregnancy, and mate once again to continue the cycle. Many fur seal populations have not rebounded from extensive hunting, and now face additional threats from climate change and overfishing, which can limit their prey.

GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION

Fur seals breed on land. They are found mainly on sub-Antarctic islands south of the Antarctic convergence. This includes the South Orkney and South Shetland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, Bouvet Island, Iles Kerguelen, and Heard Island, with only three colonies (on Marion Island, Iles Crozet, and Macquarie Island) lying north of the convergence. At Macquarie Island, all 3 species of fur seal can be found: Antarctic fur seals and sub-Antarctic fur seals which both breed there, as well as New Zealand fur seals which occur in large numbers but do not breed.

During the 18th through to the early 20th centuries, all fur seal populations on sub-Antarctic islands were decimated by the sealing industry for oil and skins. At some locations, entire populations were exterminated through these activities. After sealing ceased, populations recovered with the first pups born at Macquarie Island in 1955, and Heard Island in 1963. In the decades since, populations have been increasing at most breeding localities.

Northern fur seals seasonally breed on six islands in the eastern North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea in the United States—St. Paul, Bogoslof, St. George, Sea Lion Rock, San Miguel, and South Farallon. They also breed on the Commander Islands, Kuril Island, and Robben Island.

CONSERVATION

The management actions to protect and conserve northern fur seals, include: Regulating, monitoring, and co-managing subsistence use of northern fur seals. Monitoring population abundance and distribution. Currently, most species are protected, and hunting is mostly limited to subsistence harvest. Globally, most populations can be considered healthy, mostly because they often prefer remote habitats that are relatively inaccessible to humans. Nonetheless, environmental degradation, competition with fisheries, and climate change potentially pose threats to some populations.

HUMAN INTERACTION

Interactions are of particular concern in the fisheries, aquaculture and tourism sectors; they may result in economic loss or injury to humans. Fur seals, interactions may result in stress, changed behavior, injury or death. This species is an inquisitive and friendly animal when in the water, and often accompanies scuba divers. They swim around divers for periods of several minutes at a time, even at a depth of 60 m. On land, they are far less relaxed and tend to panic when humans come near them.

Antarctic Fur Seal Pups On Bird Island