The nature and behavior of the ringed seal - protection of the ringed seal. Ladoga ringed seal Ringed seal

15.06.2019

ringed seal, or whatever it is called, ringed seal, refers to the species of true seals and lives in the Arctic, in the Arctic Ocean.

You can meet ringed seals in the Baltic, Barents and Bering Seas, as well as in some lakes, in particular Ladoga. The distribution area of the ringed seal is very wide. This animal is found off the coast of Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, in the White Sea and near the New Siberian Islands.

The ringed seal can be found on West Bank Greenland, northern Norway, Svalbard and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The habitat of this animal includes the island of Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and St. Lawrence Bay. But the most interesting thing is that the ringed seal, which usually lives in cold waters, is also found in the Mediterranean on the Cote d'Azur.

Such a wide distribution indicates that the population of the ringed seal is quite large. According to experts, there are about 3 million individuals in the Arctic. In more warm waters Baltic, Okhotsk Seas and Lake Ladoga, the population size is approaching 4 million. A much smaller number of seals is found in the waters of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago - up to 1 million heads, and there are about 800 thousand of them in the Sea of Okhotsk.

The appearance of the ringed seal

The size of the ringed seal, which is found on the Arctic coast, is small - it grows up to 1.4 meters and weighs 70 kg.

It is believed that the ringed seal is one of the smallest seals. The growth of the animal stops at approximately 10 years. Females are usually smaller than males. The body of an animal that lives in water is round and thick, which makes it look short.

A small head almost immediately passes into the body, as the neck is very small and thick. Such a beast looks like an elongated ball rolling over ice.

The muzzle of the ringed seal has a flattened shape, and light rings run along the entire dark, almost black body of the animal. This feature of the color of short and hard wool gave the name to the species. The belly of the seal is white, however, sometimes there are individuals with a yellowish belly. There are no peculiar rings in the color of the peritoneum and flippers.

The ringed seal has good eyesight, excellent hearing and sense of smell. Thanks to a thick fatty layer, the animal is adapted to a constant stay in cold water.

Behavior and nutrition of the ringed seal

Ringed seal, or in other words - akiba, loves to live where drifting ice floats in large numbers. Therefore, such places where they are not, the animal bypasses. This behavior is explained by the fact that for reproduction and rearing of offspring, strong ice floes with holes (holes) in them and air ducts are needed through which the animal in the water can breathe.

The ringed seal is a predator.

Seals feed on two groups of animals - fish and crustaceans. in Karsky and Barents Seas the seal hunts for, capelin and herring. Of the crustaceans, the seal loves black-eyed and amphipods. In the warmer, Baltic Sea, the diet of ringed seals consists of sprat, herring, gobies and cod.

Reproduction and lifespan

Ringed seal females bring their first offspring at the age of 6-7 years, and reach sexual maturity at 5-6 years. Seal cubs are born from mid-March to mid-April.

The duration of pregnancy is approximately 11 months, including the latent period (2-3 months). A female ringed seal has one cub in a litter, weighing up to 4 kg, and a little over half a meter long. The baby is born in a thick snow-white fur coat, which remains on it for 2 weeks. Then the color of the fur changes to a darker one, and after about 1.5 months, the seal cub looks the same as adults.

Ringed seal, akiba or ringed seal (lat. Phoca hispida) - the closest relative, which is more common than others in the Arctic: according to the most conservative estimates, there are about 4 million heads in the world. The seal got its name due to the pattern on its coat, which consists of a large number light rings on a dark background.

The average weight of an adult ringed seal can reach 100 kg with a body length of up to 1.4 m. Males are slightly larger than females. Akiba has excellent eyesight, hearing and sense of smell, which help the animal find food for itself and hide from predators in time. The body of the seal is short and thick, the head is small, the muzzle is slightly flattened, but the neck is so shortened and thick that it seems as if it does not exist at all.

Depending on the habitat, four subspecies of the ringed seal are distinguished:

On the drifting ice floes of the Northern Arctic Ocean you can meet the White Sea ringed seal ( P.h. hispida), which is considered the most widespread seal in its geographical area.
In the coldest regions Baltic Sea Baltic ringed seal lives P.h. botnica). She liked the coasts of Switzerland, Estonia, Finland and Russia. From time to time she gets to Germany. This is the largest subspecies of the ringed seal.
The Ladoga ringed seal settled in the freshwater Lake Ladoga ( P.h. ladogensis). She got here about 11 thousand years ago, when the last ice Age. At that time, a huge glacier retreated, and the previous water level changed, which did not give the seal the opportunity to return to the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Today, the number of this subspecies is only 2-3 thousand individuals, which is ten times less than it was at the beginning of the last century. The Ladoga seal is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, hunting for it has been prohibited since 1980, but this does not interfere with poachers in the least.
Finally, the Saimaa ringed seal settled in the freshwater lake Saimaa ( P.h. saimensis). She has been living here for more than 8 thousand years, but in recent times is in danger of extinction. In total, there are 310 Saimaa seals, of which no more than 70 individuals are capable of fertilizing females.

Ringed seals do not like noisy companies, so they never form colonies. Most often they stay alone, although sometimes they gather in small groups, which, however, are not very stable. All year round they spend in the sea, for which their body is very well adapted.

At the age of four, females become sexually mature. Males are capable of procreation from 5-7 years. In April-May, the mating period begins in ringed seals, the pregnancy lasts 11 months, including a three-month latent stage.

March-April next year females give birth to one large cub, whose body length reaches 50-60 cm and weighs about 4 kg. All of it is covered with beautiful white thick fur, which lasts only a month and a half, giving way to ordinary gray wool, through which you can see the rings characteristic of the species.

The future mother carefully prepares for the birth of a new member of the seal society: she builds herself a reliable shelter among the snow hummocks, the entrance to which is under water, so that the newborn becomes inaccessible to predators. For about two months, the baby lives in his house, eating mother's milk. At the same time, the female goes hunting every day. The life expectancy of ringed seals is about 40 years.

Ringed seal, akiba or ringed seal (lat. Phoca hispida) - the closest relative harbor seal, which is more common than others in the Arctic: according to the most conservative estimates, there are about 4 million heads in the world. The seal got its name due to the pattern on its coat, which consists of a large number of light rings on a dark background.

On the drifting ice floes of the Arctic Ocean one can meet the White Sea ringed seal (P. h. hispida), which is considered the most common seal in its geographical area.
The Baltic ringed seal (P. h. botnica) lives in the coldest regions of the Baltic Sea. She liked the coasts of Switzerland, Estonia, Finland and Russia. From time to time she gets to Germany. This is the largest subspecies of the ringed seal.
The Ladoga ringed seal (P. h. ladogensis) settled in the freshwater Lake Ladoga. She came here about 11 thousand years ago, when the last ice age ended. At that time, a huge glacier retreated, and the previous water level changed, which did not give the seal the opportunity to return to the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Today, the number of this subspecies is only 2-3 thousand individuals, which is ten times less than it was at the beginning of the last century. The Ladoga seal is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, hunting for it has been prohibited since 1980, but this does not interfere with poachers in the least.

Finally, the Saimaa ringed seal (P. h. saimensis) settled in the freshwater lake Saimaa. She has been living here for more than 8 thousand years, but recently she is under the threat of extinction. In total, there are 310 Saimaa seals, of which no more than 70 individuals are capable of fertilizing females.

Ringed seals do not like noisy companies, so they never form colonies. Most often they stay alone, although sometimes they gather in small groups, which, however, are not very stable. All year round they spend at sea, for which their body is very well adapted.

At the age of four, females become sexually mature. Males are capable of procreation from 5-7 years. In April-May, the mating period begins in ringed seals, the pregnancy lasts 11 months, including a three-month latent stage.

In March-April of the following year, females give birth to one large cub, whose body length reaches 50-60 cm and weighs about 4 kg. All of it is covered with beautiful white thick fur, which lasts only a month and a half, giving way to ordinary gray wool, through which you can see the rings characteristic of the species. The future mother carefully prepares for the birth of a new member of the seal society: she builds herself a reliable shelter among the snow hummocks, the entrance to which is under water, so that the newborn becomes inaccessible to predators. For about two months, the baby lives in his house, eating mother's milk. At the same time, the female goes hunting every day. The life expectancy of ringed seals is about 40 years.

3.1 Least Concern:

Appearance

The ringed seal is so named for the light rings with a dark frame that make up the pattern of its coat. The length of adult animals is from 1.1 to 1.5. Weight up to 70 kg, Baltic specimens weigh up to 100 kg. Males are usually somewhat larger than females. Ringed seals have good eyesight, as well as excellent hearing and smell.

Spreading

In addition to them, there are two notable freshwater subspecies: Ladoga ( P.h. ladogensis) and Saimaa ( P.h. saimensis).

Behavior

Ringed seals do not form colonies, but live alone. Sometimes they can be seen in small groups that do not have particularly strong bonds. They are well adapted to year-round stay at sea.

Images

The image of a seal can be found on the coats of arms of cities.

Economic importance

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing the ringed seal

“There is no way to fight in this position,” he said. Kutuzov looked at him in surprise and made him repeat the words he had said. When he spoke, Kutuzov held out his hand to him.
“Give me your hand,” he said, and turning it so as to feel his pulse, he said: “You are not well, my dear. Think what you are saying.
Kutuzov, on Poklonnaya Gora, six versts from the Dorogomilovskaya outpost, got out of the carriage and sat down on a bench on the edge of the road. A huge crowd of generals gathered around him. Count Rostopchin, having arrived from Moscow, joined them. All this brilliant society, divided into several circles, talked among themselves about the advantages and disadvantages of the position, about the position of the troops, about the proposed plans, about the state of Moscow, and in general about military questions. Everyone felt that although they were not called to the fact that although it was not called that, but that it was a council of war. The conversations were all kept in the area of general questions. If anyone reported or learned personal news, then it was said in a whisper, and immediately turned again to general questions: no jokes, no laughter, no smiles were even noticeable between all these people. Everyone, obviously, with an effort, tried to keep to the height of the position. And all the groups, talking among themselves, tried to stay close to the commander-in-chief (whose shop was the center of these circles) and spoke so that he could hear them. The commander-in-chief listened and sometimes asked again what was said around him, but he himself did not enter into a conversation and did not express any opinion. For the most part After listening to the conversation of some circle, he turned away with an air of disappointment - as if they were talking about something completely different from what he wanted to know. Some spoke of the chosen position, criticizing not so much the position itself as the mental faculties of those who had chosen it; others argued that the mistake had been made earlier, that it was necessary to accept the battle on the third day; still others talked about the battle of Salamanca, about which the Frenchman Crosar, who had just arrived, in a Spanish uniform, spoke about. (This Frenchman, together with one of German princes, who served in the Russian army, sorted out the siege of Saragossa, foreseeing the opportunity to defend Moscow in the same way.) In the fourth circle, Count Rostopchin said that he and the Moscow squad were ready to die under the walls of the capital, but that all the same he could not help but regret that uncertainty in which he was left, and that, if he had known it before, it would have been different ... Fifths, showing the depth of their strategic considerations, spoke about the direction that the troops would have to take. The sixth spoke complete nonsense. Kutuzov's face became more preoccupied and sadder. Of all the conversations of these Kutuzov saw one thing: there was no physical possibility to defend Moscow in full meaning these words, that is, to such an extent there was no possibility that if some insane commander in chief gave the order to give battle, confusion would occur and there would still be no battle; it would not be because all the top leaders not only recognized this position as impossible, but in their conversations discussed only what would happen after the undoubted abandonment of this position. How could the commanders lead their troops on the battlefield, which they considered impossible? The lower commanders, even the soldiers (who also reason), also recognized the position as impossible and therefore could not go to fight with the certainty of defeat. If Bennigsen insisted on defending this position and others were still discussing it, then this question no longer mattered in itself, but mattered only as a pretext for dispute and intrigue. Kutuzov understood this.

Ladoga seals live and breed in the lake of the same name. Interestingly, this is their only habitat. But seals - a species to which the Ladoga seal belongs - are marine animals. How do they manage to exist in a fresh water reservoir and how did they end up in this lake?

About 11,000 years ago, when the ice age ended, the water level changed. Thus, these mammals ended up in fresh water.

Ladoga seal. Description

This animal has another name. It is also called the ringed seal, because the fur has grey colour with dark rings on it. The abdomen is light. External structure The Ladoga seal resembles the constitution of its other relatives, it differs from them in its small size. It reaches 1.2 meters in length and weighs 50-80 kilograms. The seal looks thick and short. She has practically no neck. The head is small and slightly flattened. Powerful rear flippers help move both in water and on land. Her hearing and sense of smell are excellent. Ladoga seals live for about 30-35 years, and growth ends at 10 years.

These mammals eat small fish and crustaceans, the body length of which does not exceed 20 cm. The menu includes perch, roach, smelt and vendace. In total, this predator needs 3-4 kilograms of fish per day. In summer, when the time of molting comes, Ladoga seals prefer the northern shore of the lake, especially the islands of Saint, Lembos, Lisiy, Krestovy and others. AT warm time year they like to arrange a rookery on the rocks, their number in one place can reach 600-650 individuals. And in winter they like the southern, western and eastern shores.

underwater life

The Ladoga seal feels better in water, even in cold water, than on land. Its elongated body is specially adapted for active swimming. In addition, fins help her in this. Freeze does not give a thick layer of subcutaneous fat and the fact that the wool does not get wet. Deftly diving to a depth of 300 meters, the seal can hold its breath for 40 minutes. This is possible due to the fact that her body is able to slow down the metabolism, and, therefore, it needs less oxygen. Moreover, vital organs are intensively supplied with blood: the head, liver and brain. The endurance of the seal allows it to swim several tens of kilometers at a speed of 20 km / h.

How they breed

For mating, these animals choose the cold season - January-March. They are ready for the process of childbearing, having reached the age of 6. The cub is also born when there is snow. Ringed seals usually give birth to one baby. It weighs only 4 kilograms, and its body has a length of 0.6 meters. Fur has it White color, so it is less visible to predators: foxes and wolves.

The mother feeds him with milk for 1.5-2 months, her milk is so fatty that the newborn adds 1 kilogram per day. After that, he begins to eat on his own. The seal is very fond of drifting ice floes. In them she finds manholes and arranges a dwelling for posterity. During pregnancy, she makes several shelters in the ice, they have a hole through which you can go down into the water, as well as holes for breathing. Such a “house” does not have access to the surface, so the cubs are protected from attack external enemies. When the time comes, they, like their mother, go down the hole into the water.

Why disappear

Per last years An animal whose population is rapidly declining is the Ladoga seal. already added it to my list. This is mainly due to human extermination. Previously, 20-30 thousand individuals lived in Lake Ladoga, and now only 2-3 thousand seals live in it. The skin, lard, meat of this animal are of value, therefore they are hunted, but not on an industrial scale.

In the 20th century, the extermination of seals was not controlled, and today the state fish inspection is engaged in this. Fishing limits have been set. The destruction of the seal is also justified by the fact that it eats valuable species of fish in the lake. And this is despite the fact that scientists have proven that because of the small mouth, the seal in Lake Ladoga cannot eat large prey, which means that the population of, for example, salmon has not decreased because of it. Opponents argue that these mammals eat fish entangled in the net, since they do not need to swallow it, but only tear it off piece by piece, which they sometimes do for fun.

Additional factors

Ladoga seals also die because they get entangled in strong nets set up to catch fish, from which they cannot get out on their own. In addition, the very fact of the presence of a person on the lake gives them inconvenience and makes them worry, which also does not contribute to an increase in their numbers. Another factor affecting the decrease in the number of Ladoga seals is the pollution of the lake. sewage. After waste began to get into it, these mammals began to get sick more often, their immunity decreased. may soon experience an ecological catastrophe.

Isn't it time to stop?

Discharge into the lake of harmful substances, toxic compounds, salts heavy metals has been going on for several years. In addition, polluted precipitation. At the bottom of Lake Ladoga, areas were found where invertebrates do not live. Some fish were on the verge of extinction, for example, listed in the Red Book And this means a reduction in food for seals and gradual extinction from hunger. Warming also has a bad effect on these animals, and, therefore, a decrease snow cover. After all, they need ice floes, if only in order to have somewhere to hide the cubs and hide themselves.

Measures taken

Biologists interested in saving the life of the Ladoga seal have created in the village of Repino Leningrad region pinniped rescue service. This is the first such organization in Russia. Scientists use their experience and accumulated knowledge to help such mammals. Not only the Ladoga seal, but any of its relatives who are in trouble can find themselves under the supervision of the center. In winter, these are pinnipeds with impaired thermoregulation. There is a special heating station for them. Animals can live here for a while. They are equipped with individual boxes. The staff lives in a place specially designed for them. Separately prepare food for animals. A swimming pool was built to speed up the adaptation of pinnipeds.

People are aware of the problem of possible extinction and are fighting for the conservation of seals. Restrict visits to areas where seals rest, reduce fishing in the lake. Although it is impossible to forbid people to admire a rare species animals in vivo a habitat. The main thing to remember is that in order to survive, the Ladoga seal does not need increased human attention, but a reasonable approach to resolving the issue of coexistence on this planet.