Name
- English: Baikal Seal
- Latin: Phoca sibirica
- Dutch: Baikalrob
Family
Baikal Seal
→ True Seals
| In average | Males | Females | Pups | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length in meters | 1,20-1,40 | ca. 0,65 | ||
| Weight in kilogram | 60-70 | 4-4,5 | ||
| Life expectancy in years | ||||
| Number of animals nowadays | 50.000 | |||
| Colour(s) | Grey | White | ||
| Habitat | Baikal Lake |
Additional information
The Baikal seal lives in the Baikal Lake only. This seal is one of the two species of pinnipeds belonging to the landlocked seal pupolation. The other species is the ungava seal , belonging to the subfamily of harbour seals . The Baikal seal is related to the ringed seals . The Baikal seal is uniformly grey. The flanks are a bit lighter coloured. This seals' belly is silver-coloured. In contrary to ringed seals Baikal seals do not have spots and rings. Baikal seals have broader front flippers and theirir colour is darker than the ringed seals . At birth the pups are totally white. These seals feed themselves wit a variety of fish.
The breeding season starts in February and ends in March. The seals give birth in ice caves.
The Baikal seal is hunted. The hunters favorites are the younger animals.
In 1987-1988 the Baikal seals were infected with the Morbilli-Virus. Several thousands of seals died because of this epidemy.