MATING AND BREEDING Most male and female harbor seals become sexually active at ages three to six or seven years. Adult females usually mate and give birth to one pup every year; the size of a pup can be 1/4 to 1/3 that of the mother.
BREEDING: Spotted seals are annually monogamous. Males and females form pairs 10 days before the female gives birth, and pairs stay together until mating occurs after the pup is weaned.
Males of several seal species are known to show aggressive copulating behaviour, which can lead to injuries to or suffocation of females. In the North Sea, grey seal predation on harbour seals including sexual harassment is documented and represents violent interspecific interaction.
Copulation usually takes place in the water. A male harbor seal may mate with several females.
Seals are mammals, so their reproduction process is like humans (sperm fertilizes an egg). The females have an egg inside their uteruses, which is protected by fluids. After it is fertilized it forms into a seal pup for about 9-11 months (depending on what seal species you are looking at).
Harbor seal mothers are extremely affectionate with their pups and form a strong bond immediately after birth. They nurse their young both on land and in the water. The pup usually accompanies mom on short swims around the haul out. Sometimes, if a pup is not strong enough, the pup will be alone onshore.
A harbor seal may slap the water or its own body with a pectoral flipper to show aggression, or during courtship.
In this study, we report the finding of a hybrid adult female between a South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) and a South American sea lion (Otaria byronia), and its offspring, a male pup, in Uruguay.
It ain't pretty, but unfortunately it's real: Researchers have recorded multiple instances of Antarctic fur seals attempting to have sex with king penguins.
Seals and sea lions on land are easily disturbed and may rush into the water or abandon their pups. They become stressed and may be trampled, and continued interruptions could be harmful to their health. BE CONSIDERATE OF MOTHERS AND PUPS.
“Alpha” males sing out to warn low-ranking seals to stay away or fight. With ringside seats, Mathevon, Casey and their team observed these animals for five years and became accustomed to recognizing individual animals by the rhythms of their voices.
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“Dogs and seals are not in the same family, however, and are not closely related. The family that compromises seals, Pinnipedia, split from other caniforms around 50 million years ago.” Upon further inspection, there are some pretty obvious phenotypical distinctions between seals and dogs.
Seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is against the law to touch, feed or otherwise harass seals. Harassment occurs whenever your behavior changes their behavior. The rule is to keep at least 50 yards, four car lengths, away — to give them their space.
Whether bold or shy, seal personalities are steady over time, study shows. Female grey seals have consistent personalities when defending their pups, U of A biologists find. Female seals don't change their spots, according to a new study by University of Alberta biologists.
Fur seals are known to eat penguins, but they typically form a minor part of a seal's diet.
Indeed, same-sex courtship displays were common (28.3% of 53 displaying pairs), the great majority of which were between males. Some homosexually displaying males eventually paired with females, but such males were significantly slower in heterosexual pairing than males that did not display homosexually.
"The short answer is no, penguins are not really monogamous," said Emma Marks, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, who studies breeding behavior and mate choice in colonial breeding species — birds that congregate in vast colonies for nesting.
Seals are large, powerful animals with sharp teeth and strong jaws, and will bite if they feel threatened.
Generally speaking, seals are friendlier to humans and are less likely to attack, and sea lions can be a little more hostile. However, it does depend on the seal. Many sea lions are accustomed to humans, with many being kept in zoos and wildlife parks, and are used to human interaction, making them very friendly.
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. Immature males are sometimes called SAMs (sub-adult males) or bachelors.
Do seals kiss? ? Not exactly. Seals great each other by sniffing and using their very sensitive whiskers called vibrassae. Smell can also help mothers identify their pups!
They probably do this to keep their head and flippers high and dry (and therefore warm). Seals are well insulated with a thick layer of fat, with the exception of their head and flippers.
Why do they flip sand? Their bodies are designed to keep warm in cold water. Sand flipping helps them keep cool on land by acting as a sunscreen. In addition, they sometimes can be seen flipping sand under stressful conditions.