My Antarctic Fur Seal Report By Colin Weil

Introduction I chose the Antarctic fur seal because my favorite animals are seals. I don’t know much about this kind, and I’d like to learn more about it. I also think it’s kind of cool. I don’t know why, but it’s cool to me. I think it is interesting as well. If you’d like to know more about it (like me), read my report!

Body Characteristics (1) It seems you’d like to learn about this magnificent animal. I’m glad you have, because this is REALLY cool. Did you know that millions of years ago, seals were only land animals? It’s true. Over the years, their bodies adapted so they could swim. For example, their limbs became flippers, which are suitable for swimming. Another thing that changed was the bodies of seals became streamlined, so they could blend in with the water, more unnoticeable to find food.

Body Characteristics (2) Seals have heavy fur coats to keep them warm, and their body temperature is always 98 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 37 degrees Celsius. There’s a thick layer of fat on a seal’s body for slipping away from predators. I’ll bet you didn’t know at least one (Probably two) of these body characteristics. If you’d like to know about the life cycle, read on.

Life Cycle (1) If you had a younger sibling, were you excited to have one? Speaking of siblings, I was about to tell you about the life cycle. The Antarctic fur seal has it’s babies in December to mid- March. That’s about 3 months and two weeks to have a baby! As you may know, a cow’s baby is called a calf. An Antarctic fur seal’s- actually all seals in general- are called pups. Don’t get it confused with puppies! Just pups.

Life Cycle (2) When the baby is born, it weighs about 100 pounds. By the end of the nursing period, the weight of them has tripled! Since the mother cannot eat during the nursing period for fear that she may have a baby while hunting for food, she is starving! She goes down into the sea to get some grub, then she shares some of the delicious meal with her pups. When the pups are fully grown, they can hunt for themselves. That’s all! Next, I’m telling you about the seal’s food and nutrition.

Food and Nutrition (1) Just like humans, seals need food to survive. No, they don’t eat a hamburger or pizza. Instead, they eat fish, raw fish. Now, if you run out of apples as fruit, you have a pear or banana instead. But when there’s absolutely no prey for seals, the blubber on it’s body keeps it alive. How, you ask? The blubber provides energy that is used by the seal, giving it the energy food would have given, giving the seal four days to live without food. Just as humans, seals eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Food and Nutrition (2) They have snacks as well, but the only difference is we don’t always have fish! 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month is how frequent the animal eats, just as us! Well, that’s the food and nutrition of this seal, read on, for the next spotlight is on habitat.

Habitat The habitat information of the Antarctic fur seal is quite interesting. This seal’s habitat is Antarctica, and you may have been able to tell by it’s name. the seals always stay where the water is coldest! But, ironic enough, the habitat’s ice MELTS when it’s at it’s coldest! It lives quite a distance from it’s relatives who live near the two Americas and Asia. They’re also similar to the elephant seals who live in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Enemies are up next, so stay tuned!

Enemies and Survival (1) Now it’s time for enemies and survival. A long time ago, Native Americans hunted seals for many things. Their skin was used for clothing and food, tools were made from their bones, and the oil on it’s skin was used for lamps. They were hunted a lot until people realized it’s cousins- the northern elephant seals- could bring people up to 30 to 68 gallons of oil using only one’s blubber. Hunters then showed no mercy.

Enemies and Survival (2) There were hundreds of them gone by 1885. The fur seals, however, were popular for hunting again and there were less than 3,000 then. As for the elephant seals, there were less than 100 left in a herd discovered in 1892. That was all that was left of them! Luckily, they were saved by the Mexican government. Then, they also put some protection on the fur seals. There are facts that don’t belong in any of the categories, and they’re up next!

Interesting Facts (1) There are many interesting facts about the Antarctic fur seal. They are the third place holder of the seal diving records, while one of their cousins, the Northern elephant seal, holds first place! It reaches the depths of up to 1,250 miles deep. The Antarctic fur seal has a trunk as well as the Northern elephant seal. The proper name of the trunk is the Proboscis (Pru-BOE- scis). It hangs out 16cm., while the northern elephant seal’s hangs out 30cm. That’s one foot long! When roaring, the sounds are pushed through the Proboscis and into the mouth, making the roar louder and heard 1 mile away!

Interesting Facts (2) Though humans have stopped hunting these animals, their future is still quite shaky and could crack any day now. Why, you may ask yourselves? They come from few ancestors, that is why! Many facts of these were probably unknown to you until you read this. These facts truly are interesting!

Closing Paragraph Well, that’s my report. Isn’t it amazing how the Antarctic fur seal and all other seals at one time only roamed the land? Or how about the fact that the mothers have three and a half months to have birth of a newborn? It’s really sweet how they can live three days without food thanks to the blubber on it’s skin. It’s habitat is a while away from it’s cousins. Now that’s interesting! Them and their cousins almost became extinct, remember that? It’s so cool how they hold third place in the seal diving records. They did almost become extinct and now they have protection and there are more than 100,000 of them! However, this shouldn’t end with these. We need to work together to gain protection for all seals. Would you mind giving a helping hand?