Hooded seal
→ True seals
| In average | Males | Females | Pups | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length in meters | 2,50-4,00 | 2,00-2,50 | ||
| Weight in kilogram | ||||
| Life expectancy in years | ||||
| Number of animals nowadays | ||||
| Colour(s) | Blue-black | slightly paler | blue, black, silver | |
| Habitat | Davis strait, Hudsun Strait, Foxe Bassin, Baffin bay |
The hooded seal has a blue-black colour. The seals have light coloured spots on their body. The seals' face is black and its belly is lighter than its back. Females are slightly paler than the males (particularly on the back). The pups have a dark coloured face, a blue back and a silver coloured belly. Male seals have a bulbous hood - a kind of enlarged nose - hanging in front of the mouth. The seal inflates its hood (a red nasal membrane) for displaying angriness or during breeding. The hooded seals' diet consist of arctic cod, herring, cephalopods (squid and octopus), zooplankton and benthic invertebrates, such as starfish and mussels.
Pups are born in the spring. The females give birth at the Arctic pack ice. Mating takes place around two weeks after the seals have got their pups. The seals leave the pack ice after mating and are never seen on the ice during the summer.
Hooded seals show a quite solitary behaviour. They are only seen in herds during the breeding season. The seals often swim in deep water with only the top of their head breaking the surface.
© May 2003, Suzanne M. van den Bercken.
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