fur seals and sea lions) and odobenidae ().. Southern fur seals belong to the Arctocephalinae genus.The eight species names are as follows: Prized for its chestnut-coloured underfur, it is a gregarious, vocal animal that feeds on fish and other marine animals. common seal), otaridae, eared seals (eg. 1. Beginning in the 1790s, the ports of Stonington and New Haven, Connecticut, were leaders of the American fur seal trade, which primarily entailed clubbing fur seals to death on uninhabited South Pacific islands, skinning them, and selling the hides in China. They have a distinctive feature to walk on all fours by bringing their hind limbs forward. Fur seal is marine mammal that belongs to the family of eared seals. The northern fur seal ( Callorhinus ursinus) is a migratory inhabitant of northern seas, breeding in summer on the Pribilof, Komandor (Commander), and other islands. 2. The fur seals are also found in the tropics, but their absolute abundance is low. The Commander Islands is the second largest breeding site for the northern fur seal, where about 225,000 go to breed. Male fur seals arrive first at the breeding ground, which is usually on a rocky island, and fight for space to control. Interesting Seal Facts: Seals spend much of their life in water, but they mate, give birth to babies and take care of them on the shore. Fur seals have small claws on their flippers to help grip when on land 3. Fur seals have dense fur and a thick layer of blubber, or fat, under the skin. Fur seals may swim by themselves or gather in small groups. An Australian fur seal is a very good deep sea diver, sometimes diving to depths of 500 m. Their large eyes help them find their prey in dark water. As compare to sea lions, they are smaller in size. Interesting Fur Seal Facts. There is single species of northern fur seal that can be found in the northern parts of the Pacific ocean and 8 species of southern fur seal that inhabit southern hemisphere. Some fur seals can dive up to 800 feet deep in the ocean!. Seal produce milk … Seals are fin-footed, semiaquatic marine mammals.. Seals are found in most waters of the world, mainly in the Arctic and Antarctica but also in some areas of the tropics. Out of nine species, northern fur seal is the only one that has different genus while the rest eight belong to Arctocephalus. Scientific Name.

The most abundant pinniped is the crabeater seal, which lives in the Antarctic pack ice; the ringed seal in the Arctic is also quite abundant, with numbers in the millions. In the spring, most northern fur seals migrate north to breeding colonies in the Bering Sea. In the winter, the southern boundary of the northern fur seal range extends across the Pacific Ocean, between southern California and Honshu Island, Japan, but they are found as far north as the Bering Sea. Thick fur and blubber offer protection against freezing temperatures. Sub species are genetically similar species that are separated geographically (living in different parts of the world) or ecologically (same area, different prey or habitat preferences). According to IUCN, as of 2014, the Northern fur seal population have been estimated at 1 - 1.3 million, the majority breeding on the Pribilof Islands located in the southern Bering Sea. Despite their large size, fur seals can swim at an impressive 15 miles and hour. When they are on the land, they live in huge colonies with over thousand seals. The males are up to three times heavier than the females. Fur seal Facts. Fun Facts for Kids. Many fur seal species were heavily exploited by commercial sealers, especially during the 19th century when their fur was highly valued. Cape fur seals belong to the eared seal family (Otariidae) and are a sub species of the Afro-Australian Fur seal. Together, the fur and blubber keep the fur seal dry and warm, even when underwater. There are 33 species of seals found throughout the world.. Breeding Season When breeding season arrives, however, these social animals gather on shore in very large numbers. These seals usually hunt schools of pilchards or mackerel, and surprise fisherman by very cleverly getting fish off a fishing line.
3 Amazing Facts About Fur Seals.
Seals are divided in 3 families: phocidae, the earless or true seal (eg.

Fur seal Facts.