subject: Mediterranean monk seal [print this page] Mediterranean monk seal Mediterranean monk seal
Mediterranean monk seal
The Mediterranean monk seal is a fin-footed mammal, a semi-aquatic endangered animal species, that belongs to the Phocidae family, which means it has no ears. It is qualified as critically endangered, because there are fewer then 500 species left, and it is considered to be the world's second rarest pinniped.It is mostly present in the eastern parts of the Atlantic ocean and of course in the Mediterranean sea(hence the name).
Their fur is black, brown or dark grey, and they live somewhere around 20-25 years, and reach their reproductive maturity at the age of four. The babies are about 80 cm long at birth, and the adults grow to an average of2,4 meters, and they can weigh up to 320 kg, but females are generally smaller. The pregnant females give birth in inaccessible underwater caves, and they have two pairs of retractable abdominal teats unlike other pinnipeds, but it is still very little is known about their reproduction. It is assumed that these seals are polygynous, and the males are very territorial where they mate with females. The cubs, when they are born, come into contact with water after two weeks, and they are weaned to about 18 weeks of age. Females caring for the pups will feed for about nine hours. The gestation period lasts about a year.
Up to the 20th century they lived on open beaches, but in recent times they moved to mostly inaccessible underwater caves, which are very dangerous for the cubs and a major mortality cause. This was probably caused by the destruction of their habitat's, under human influence, like industry. Mediterranean Monk Seals feed on a variety of fish and mollusk, like octopus, squid and eels. They use their speed to hunt, but are also known to be very resourceful lifting rocks in search of prey. One of the reasons why the seals try to avoid human contact is because they are so shy and sensitive in nature, but also because they were hunted and eradicated by fisherman who considered them pests due to the damage they did to the nets trying to catch the fish in them.
The biggest and most known two populations are in the Aegean sea and the Cabo Blanco in the Western Sahara.There are many organizations and foundations that try to raise the awareness of the public. The Greek have a large area for preservation called the Alonissos Marine Park in the Sporades islands. MOm organisation is most active here, and the other famous one is the Mediterranean Seal Research Group. The seal are rarely sighted close to the coast, like Sicily, Israel etc.
