Harp+Seal

= = =**Harp seal**=


 * Basic Statistics**

**Genus:** Pagophilus, **Family:** Phocidae, **Order:** Carnivora, **Class:** Mammalia, **Phylum** Chordata, **Kingdom:** Animalia//
 * SCIENTIFIC NAME:**  //Pagophilus groenlandica


 * = [[image:http://www.exzooberance.com/virtual%20zoo/they%20swim/harp%20seal/Harp%20Seal%20485028.jpg height="146" caption="Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandica)"]] || [[image:http://api.ning.com/files/K8E0yvCQfhWEnTDDlhYRpIllliV0pP6hTYEtRa8JX2VQ9Iwbm1DlNpguBG4HTHMGbcZJiXBcKtimFo4kmA9mkeYwbZtrYpOE/QB_HarpSeal09.jpg height="146" caption="Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandica)"]] ||= [[image:http://ecofuture.net/environment/wp-content/blogs.dir/62/files/least_concern/harp-seal.jpg height="146" caption="Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandica)"]] ||


 * Ecology **

Harp Seals are predators so they hunt fish such as capelin, polar and Arctic cod, herring, sculpin, Greenland halibut, redfish, and plaice. Also they hunt crustaceans. They are are carnivores. Polar bears, orca  (killer whales), and sharks hunt Harp Seals for food. Some times Walruses also prey on harp seal females and pups. Harp Seals are able to dive150-200m in depths in search of prey. When they catch a small fish they eat the whole fish underwater, but for larger catches, the harp seal will swim to the surface before eating. They have sensitive whiskers which can detect vibrations in the water and swim to that area. They mostly live in St. Lawrence and across the Arctic to Siberia in cold climates. They spend most of there time on ice and once they need food they go underwater to catch there pray. They stay in packs up to 10. When they swim they leap and often are confused by dolphins. P ups begin to lose weight and to shed their white coats During this time they will not eat for four to five weeks  media type="youtube" key="kjzNYKxT-Lw" height="201" width="265" 

Life-span: up to 35 years.


 * Physiology**



The average length of a Harp Seal is 171 - 190cm and can weigh up to 120 - 135kg. The gestation period is about 225 days. The harp seal is adapted to ice, water and land. When babies are born they have a white fur coat to blend into the snow so predators don't see them. when a baby is born the mother identifies it by there smell. They originated in the northern hemisphere and are land-based flesh-eating mammals. Fossils show that they existed approximately 20 million years ago. Breeding Takes place between February and April. The pup is born at the end of winter, weighing 12kg, unable to swim, but with a wonderful coat of white fur. it feeds on its mother milk.

Relation to humans
== ** Humans hunt these seals mostly in Canada, N orway , Russia and Greenland .For there white Fur to make coats. The hunting season is from November 15 to May 15. Most sealing occurs in late March in The Gulf of St. Lawrence. Some people hunt these seals for food like the ( Inuit ). In 2007 the Canadians hunted 270,000 Harp Seals. ** ==


 * Citation **

 5/15/2010. []   5/15/2010. [] ===
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"Harp Seal." <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19px;">//seals-world//. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Infoqis Publishing, Co.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">"Harp Seal." //national geographic//. National Geographic Society.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> 5/15/2010. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">[] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 19px;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> " <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">Pagophilus groenlandicus, Harp Seal." //marinebio//. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">marinebio.

By : Max Rusakov