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At birth, Hawaiian monk seal pups are approximately 25–35 pounds and 3 feet long. Thanks to the fat-rich milk from mom, the pups increase significantly in weight during the nursing period. Upon weaning, they can weigh nearly 200 pounds! On average adult Hawaiian monk seals weigh 400–600 pounds and can be 6–7 feet long.
- Fun Facts About Surprising Seals
Seal mothers and pups (as opposed to other pinnipeds)...
- 14 Seal Secrets
Northern elephant seal pups weigh 75 pounds at birth, for...
- Fun Facts About Surprising Seals
- Gestation
- Pupping Season
- Frequency of Birth
- Pups at Birth
- Care of Young
- Pup Growth and Development
Harbor seals have a total gestation of about 9 to 11 months.Gestation includes a period of delayed implantation: when the fertilized egg divides into a hollow ball of cells one layer thick (blastocyst), it stops growing and remains free-floating in the uter...Delayed implantation gives the mother time to recover from her last pregnancy. It also assures that the ensuing pup will be born when environmental conditions are optimal for its survival.Implantation of the blastocyst may be triggered by hormonal changes at the end of the molting season.Although most pups are born in February through July, the pupping season varies widely among the regional populations.Harbor seals of the northern Pacific population give birth from May to July. Farther south, the pupping season becomes progressively earlier; in Baja California, the season is February and March.Harbor seals inhabiting the coasts of British Columbia and Washington give birth from June to September.Females generally give birth to one pup each year. Multiple births are extremely rare, but twin fetuses have been documented.
Pups are about 75 to 100 cm (30-39 in.) and weigh 8 to 12 kg (18-26 lb.).Pups are well-developed at birth. Their eyes are open and they can swim and follow their mothers.Nursing.The female is an attentive parent during the nursing period. She noses the pup often. The pup may ride on her back, nip at her flippers, and chase her through the water.Females recognize their own pups by vocalizations and by smell.After her pup is weaned, a mother shows no interest in the pup.A pup learns to catch and eat shrimp and bottom-dwelling crustaceans after it is weaned. Later, it learns to catch fish.Pups do not wander far from adults.Seal mothers and pups (as opposed to other pinnipeds) generally stay close together on shore and are not separated while nursing. Harbor seals are an exception, and mothers will leave pups on shore to feed offshore. Seal mothers and pups can stay in contact by sound. Harbor seal pups make distinctive calls that can be heard for up to a ...
They start out as a foetus, gestating in the womb, then once born, they are nursing infant seals (baby seals), then juvenile and finally if they are lucky enough, they become adult seals. Nursing infant seal pups stay with their mothers and nurse for around 4-6 weeks, then start to forage and feed themselves.
- They have been around for a long time. Fossil records indicate that the ancestors of modern seals first entered the ocean on the west coast, about 28–30 million years ago.
- There are three different major types of pinnipeds. “Phocid seals” are also called “true seals” and include several species such as harbor seals and gray seals.
- They have whiskers they use like cats do. Seals and sea lions have many well-developed whiskers, much like cats. Like cats, they have a very acute sense of touch.
- They can go for long periods of time without eating. A seal’s body stores enough fat in the blubber layer to allow the animal to go for extended periods of time without eating.
May 14, 2020 · The mothers then leave the pups onshore and go to sea, while the pups remain on land for another month or so before they too go to sea," explained Malcolm Kennedy, professor of natural history at ...
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Seal moms and newborn pups are much safer from dangers in the rookery. While some seals snooze or nurse, others are on high alert for predators. Studies have shown that in groups of 8, one seal is scanning the area frequently. In larger groups, more are able rest among the skittish colony. Stay back from harbor seal haul outs - 100 yards.
