Northern Fur Seals
Arctocephalus gazella
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Otariidae
Genus: Arctocephalus
Species: A. gazella
Endangered Status
The Northern Fur Seals are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The fur that protects the Northern Seal from the cold has led to this species being hunted for centuries. In 1911 a treaty, the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention, was signed by the USA, Japan, Russia and the UK (acting for the Dominion of Canada), limiting hunting to immature males on land and banning all sea hunts. However, the main threats to the northern fur seal globally are now believed to be caused by entanglement in the nets of the Japanese squid fishing fleets and in the Bering Sea. Seals are also threatened by marine pollution such as plastic twine and waste packaging, as well as discarded trawl nets. The animals are very vulnerable to oil pollution and, with an increase in oil and gas exploration around several of their breeding grounds, there are fears that accidental oil spills and the inevitable industrial disturbance will affect northern fur seal populations.
Location and Habitat
Northern fur seals have a wide geographic range throughout the northern Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, and Sea of Japan. The Southern limit of Fur Seals' distribution is around Baja California in the eastern Pacific and Japan in the western Pacific. Seals are most at home in the water and may stay at sea for weeks at a time. They come on land mainly during the breeding season and spend the remainder of their time at sea. They will swim between 50 and 100 miles off shore at most.
Diet
Fur Seals have a carnivorous diet and eat a lot of fish, squid, birds, and tiny shrimp-like krill.
Social Interactions
During breeding season, these social animals gather on the shore in 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. Outside of the breeding season, Fur Seals are mainly solitary creatures, ranging in the open ocean, however they have been seen in groups of up to 20 individuals.
Evolutionary Relationships
The Northern Fur Seal is most closely related to Antarctic and other species of eared seals.
Size and Weight
Male body length: up to 83.85 inches/6.98 feet
Female body length: up to 55.9 inches/44.66 feet
Male weight: up to 599.66 pounds
Female weight: up to 110.23 pounds
Movement
Strong front flippers give them extra mobility on land and an adult fur seal can move extremely fast across the beach if it has to. They also use their front flippers for swimming, whereas other seals use their hind flippers for swimming.
Interesting Facts
-Fur Seals have sharp eyesight and keen hearing
-Fur Seal mothers find their pups with a certain call. The pups and mothers can still respond to the same call even after up to four years of separation
-Fur Seals have very small ears
Websites Used
-http://a-z-animals.com/animals/fur-seal/
-http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/fur-seal/?source=A-to-Z
-http://www.arkive.org/northern-fur-seal/callorhinus-ursinus/