Harp seal
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Superfamily: Pinnipedia
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Pagophilus
Species: P. groenlandicus
Common name: Harp seal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Superfamily: Pinnipedia
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Pagophilus
Species: P. groenlandicus
Common name: Harp seal
Morphology
Symmetry- Bilateral.
Structure- Two flippers with nails.
Appearance- Fat body.
Structure- Two flippers with nails.
Appearance- Fat body.
Biology
- Pups are born with white fur to blend into the snow and to capture sunlight to stay warm.
- Because sight is extremely important to the seals for navigation, their eyes have evolved to be proportionally large, and contains a large spherical lens that helps them focus in on things much more easily.
- Because sight is extremely important to the seals for navigation, their eyes have evolved to be proportionally large, and contains a large spherical lens that helps them focus in on things much more easily.
Importance
Economic- Harp seals are second only to fur seals in commercial value. Hunters kill them for fur, oil, and leather.
Ecological- They eat fish and squid and are food for polar bears and killer whales.
Ecological- They eat fish and squid and are food for polar bears and killer whales.
Facts
- They're carnivorous.
- Hundreds of thousands of babies are killed every year by hunters for their fur.
- They can remain submerged for 15 minutes at a time.
- A thick coat of blubber insulates its body and provides energy when food is scarce or during fasting.
- Females mature sexually at age five to six.
- Hundreds of thousands of babies are killed every year by hunters for their fur.
- They can remain submerged for 15 minutes at a time.
- A thick coat of blubber insulates its body and provides energy when food is scarce or during fasting.
- Females mature sexually at age five to six.
Vocabulary
- Blubber- Thick layer of vascularized adipose tissue found under the skin of all cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians.
- Molt- Shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth.
- Vibrissae- A type of mammalian hair that are typically characterised, anatomically, by their large size, large and well-innervated hair follicle and by having an identifiable representation in the somatosensory cortex of the brain.
- Courtship- The behavior of animals aimed at attracting a mate.
- Flipper- A typically flat forelimb evolved for movement through water.
- Molt- Shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth.
- Vibrissae- A type of mammalian hair that are typically characterised, anatomically, by their large size, large and well-innervated hair follicle and by having an identifiable representation in the somatosensory cortex of the brain.
- Courtship- The behavior of animals aimed at attracting a mate.
- Flipper- A typically flat forelimb evolved for movement through water.
Resources
- National Geographic
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/harp-seal/
- Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harp_seal
- Zeal for the Harp Seal
https://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/lind_vale/adaptation.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/harp-seal/
- Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harp_seal
- Zeal for the Harp Seal
https://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/lind_vale/adaptation.htm