Why are baby seals born with a pure white coat? Harp seal pups are born with a fluffy white coat to both help hide them from predators and keep them warm until they can build up a layer of blubber and develop the darker, thicker pelt that protects them in icy Arctic waters. Click to see full answer.
Full Answer
Why are Baby Seals born white?
Beside this, why are baby seals born white? The life cycle of harp seal pups At birth they weigh about 10 kg (22 lb) and are called yellowcoats because their fur is stained yellow from amniotic fluid. After a few days, the yellowish tint disappears and their fur turns pristine white. They're then known as thin whitecoats.
What do baby seals look like?
Most baby seals are born with a yellow coat of fur. Their first is yellow due to the amniotic fluid they were surrounded in during their 11 month gestation period. After a day or two earthside, their fur loses its yellow tint and reveals a bright white coat. This is where seal pups get their nickname, whitecoats.
Can baby seals swim without a mother?
When baby seals are born, they can barely swim, if at all, and they are completely dependent on their mother’s milk for nourishment. By the time they’re adults, they are expert swimmers because they spend months at a time at sea. Seal pups are so comfortable in the water, they can even sleep in it!
What does a harp seal look like as a baby?
As pups, harp seals go through several distinct stages. At birth they weigh about 10 kg (22 lb) and are called yellowcoats because their fur is stained yellow from amniotic fluid. After a few days, the yellowish tint disappears and their fur turns pristine white. They’re then known as thin whitecoats.
Are baby seals white?
Newborn harp seals have soft, white fur and are called whitecoats. Young seals of any species are also referred to as pups. Harp seals are pinnipeds, of which there are 33 species in the world, 18 of which belong to the Phocidae family (true seals).Dec 1, 2016
How long do seal pups stay white?
about two to three weeksPups are born with white coats and suckle from their mother for about two to three weeks. The mother will then leave the pup to mate again before leaving the beach.
Why are seals furry babies?
When seal pups are born, they aren't that big, but are covered in long fluffy white hair to keep them warm. They don't swim much for the first few weeks of their lives, but drink lots of milk from their mum, to put on weight.Sep 19, 2016
Are seal pups born with fur?
When pups are born the mothers spin round to sniff them and get to know their smell. The pups are covered in fluffy white fur, not good camouflage on sand or pebbles you might think, but that's because it's a relic from the ice age when they would have been born on snow!
Do seals lose their fur?
Pinnipeds, such as seals, otariids, and walruses, belong to this category of fur shedding mammals. Once a year, they shed their old fur which is replaced by a shiny, brand new coat.Sep 26, 2020
Why do grey seals haul out?
Grey seals are effectively central place foragers, returning regularly to land between foraging trips, and thus their distribution at sea is likely to be affected by the location of that central place (haul out site).
Can new born seals swim?
Almost immediately after birth, a pup is able to swim. At 2 days old, he is able to stay underwater for 2 minutes. Within a short time, he is playfully exploring his new watery world. Moms are very affectionate with their offspring, who usually accompany them on short swims offshore.
How does a seal give birth?
The gestation period is 9-11 months. Females will give birth on shore, on ice floes and in the water. Mating resumes shortly after the female has given birth and delayed implantation appears to ensure that pups are born in the proper season with a higher survival rate.
How do female fur seals know which fur pup is their own?
These results suggest that finding pups is a two-stage process for females, in which pups for sampling are attracted by calls or examined at the previous nursing location, and then individual identification is made by olfactory cues.
How do grey seals give birth?
Grey seal mothers haul out onto beaches between October and January to give birth. They spend three weeks ashore weaning their newborn pups with fatty milk, before abandoning their young and mating again. After they have mated, adult seals will take to the sea to feed.
Do seals mate with penguins?
Male and female penguins mate via an opening called a cloaca, and the seals are thought to have actually penetrated the penguins in some of the acts, which were caught on film by [research team leader William A. Haddad]. In three of the four recorded incidents the seal let the penguin go.Nov 17, 2014
What do seal pups eat?
Flatfish, lesser sandeel and cod species are their favorite food, although what they eat can vary per season, depending upon what's available. Young seals must teach themselves to eat and catch fish after nursing ends. Their mother doesn't teach them the tricks. In this period, young seals lose a lot of weight.
How much do baby seals weigh?
Baby seals weigh on average 20 pounds when first born and they pack on about 4 to 6 pounds a day. Seals need all this weight to keep themselves war...
What do baby seals eat?
Baby seals are mammals, which means they nurse their mother’s milk. A seal’s diet as they grow is composed mostly of fish including octopus, squid,...
Where do baby seals live?
Baby seals are born, and for the most part raised, on ice. Their moms will sometimes take them out into the water and nurse them. However, some bab...
What are baby seals called?
A baby seal is called a pup. They share their baby name with many other animals, as well, such as sharks, rats, and even lemurs!
How long does it take for a harp seal to give birth?
A weaned harp seal pup. Harp seal births are rapid, with recorded lengths as short as 15 seconds in duration.
Why is my harp seal's coat white?
The harp seal pup often has a yellow-white coat at birth due to staining from amniotic fluid, but after one to three days, the coat turns white and stays white for 2–3 weeks, until the first molt. Adolescent harp seals have a silver-gray coat spotted with black.
How long do seals live?
Seals congregate annually on the ice to molt, pup and breed before migrating to summer feeding grounds. Their lifespan can be over 30 years.
How do harp seals regulate their body temperature?
Harp seals combine anatomical and behavioral approaches to managing their body temperatures, instead of elevating their metabolic rate and energy requirements. Their lower critical temperature is believed to be under −10 degrees Celsius in air . Blubber insulates the Harp seal's core but does not insulate the flippers to the same extent. Instead, the flippers have circulatory adaptations to help prevent heat loss. A thick coat of blubber insulates its body and provides energy when food is scarce or during fasting. Blubber also streamlines its body for more efficient swimming. Brown fat warms blood as it returns from the body surface as well as providing energy, most importantly for newly weaned pups.
What happens to a juvenile harp seal after abandonment?
After abandonment, in the post-weaning phase, the pup becomes sedentary to conserve body fat. Within a few days, it sheds its white coat, reaching the "beater" stage.
How deep do harp seals dive?
In the Greenland Sea sub-population, the average dive rate is around 8.3 dives per hour and dives range from a depth of less than 20 to over 500m. Dive duration ranges from less than 2 minutes to just over 20 minutes. During the spring and summer when seals forage along the pack ice in the Greenland Sea, most dives are less than 50m. In the late fall and winter, dive depth has been found to increase, particularly in the Denmark Strait, where the mean dive depth was found to be 141m.
What are the eyes of harp seals?
The harp seal's eyes are large for its body size and contain a large spherical lens that improves focusing ability. Its mobile pupil helps it adapt to the intense glare of the Arctic ice. Its retina is rod-dominated and backed by a cat -like and reflective tapetum lucidum, enhancing its low light sensitivity. Its cones are most sensitive to blue-green spectra, while its rods help sense light intensity and may provide some color discrimination. Its cornea is lubricated by lacrimal glands, to protect the eye from sea water damage. The lack of tear ducts to drain secretions to the nasal passages contribute to the harp seals "eye rings" on land. This can be an indication of the hydration level of the seal.
Overview
Description
The mature harp seal has pure black eyes. It has a silver-gray fur covering its body, with black harp or wishbone-shaped markings dorsally. Adult harp seals grow to be 1.7 to 2.0 m (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 7 in) long and weigh from 115 to 140 kg (254 to 309 lb). The harp seal pup often has a yellow-white coat at birth due to staining from amniotic fluid, but after one to three days, the coat turns white and stays white for 2–3 weeks, until the first molt. Adolescent harp seals have a silver-gray coat …
Life history
Harp seals spend relatively little time on land compared with time at sea. They are social animals and can be quite vocal in groups. Within their large colonies, smaller groups with their own hierarchies form. Groups of several thousand form during pupping and mating season. Harp seals can live over 30 years in the wild. On the ice, pups call their mothers by "yelling," and "mumble" while playing with others. Adults "growl" and "warble" to warn off conspecifics and predators. Un…
Distribution
Global harp seal population estimates total around 7.6 million individuals. The number of pups born in the traditional pupping area of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence was greatly reduced, with an estimated pup production of only 18,300 (95% CI, 15,400-21,200 rounded to the nearest hundred). Another 13,600 (95% CI, 7,700-19,500) pups were born in the northern Gulf. An estimated 714,600 (95% CI, 538,800-890,400) pups were born off the northeastern coast of New…
See also
• Marine life portal
• Mammals portal
• Paro, a medical robot pet based on the harp seal
Further reading
• Hammill, M.O.; Stenson, G.B. (2000). "Estimated Prey Consumption by Harp seals (Phoca groenlandica), Hooded seals (Cystophora cristata), Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in Atlantic Canada" (PDF). Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science. 26: 1–23. doi:10.2960/j.v26.a1.
• Lawson, J.W.; Anderson, J.T.; Dalley, E.L.; Stenson, G.B. (1998). "Selective foraging by harp seals Phoca groenlandica in nearshore and offshore waters of Newf…
External links
• ICES/NAFO Working Group on Harp and Hooded Seals
• Smithsonian Institution – North American Mammals: Pagophilus groenlandicus