What is a harp seal pup?
Harp seal pups are born with long white fur that helps them absorb sunlight and stay warm while they’re still developing blubber. Pups shed their white fur after about three to four weeks old. 4. Harp seals are highly migratory and can travel more than 3,100 miles (4,989 km) roundtrip to feed.
What are the characteristics of a harp seal?
Harp seals are about 5 to 6 feet long, weigh about 260 to 300 pounds, and have a robust body with a small, flat head. They have a narrow snout and eight pairs of teeth in both the upper and lower jaws. Their front flippers have thick, strong claws, while their back flippers have smaller, narrower claws.
How do harp seal pups survive?
During a brief 12-day nursing period, the pup rapidly plumps up to more than triple its birth weight and is then left to fend for itself. For the next two months, the sea ice provides a dry, safe haven for resting while the pup learns to swim and find food on its own.
How many pups do harp seals have?
one pup
Pups are born on the short-lived seasonal platform of pack ice. Each female gives birth to only one pup; twins are extremely rare. Pups weigh 11 kg (24 pounds) at birth, but they lack the thick layer of blubber present in adults.
What is a female seal called?
A large group of seals during breeding is called a harem. Adult males are called bulls and females are called cows, while a young seal is a pup.
Are all seal pups white?
Harp seal pups have white fur. Harp seal pups have white fur.
What is the classification of a harp seal?
MammalHarp seal / Class
Why do seals abandon their pups?
“It might only take a few seconds for you to snap the photo, but the mother may abandon her pup if she feels threatened.” NOAA also reminds seal fans that it’s illegal to disturb the animals.
Why do harp seals leave their pups?
The pups grow quickly, fattening up to nearly 40 kg (88 pounds). Harp seal mothers then abruptly leave to commence mating, leaving the pups behind. Pups become sedentary to conserve their stores of fat, but they can lose up to half their body weight during this period.