User:LilyTraub/Guadalupe fur seal

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Description

Adult Guadalupe fur seals are dark brown or dusty gray with yellowish silver manes, called guard hairs, on the back of the neck. Guadalupe fur seals are sexually dimorphic in size, as males are much larger and heavier than females; males can grow to about seven feet in length and weigh upwards of 400 pounds, while females are typically only five feet long and weigh about 110 pounds. Additionally, males usually have a larger head and are lighter brown in color. Both males and females have a twenty year lifespan. Guadalupe fur seals have distinctive ear flaps and large flippers for walking on land, confirming that they are not phocids (true seals) but are more closely related to sea lions. Guadalupe fur seal pups are born with black coats similar to those of adult Guadalupe fur seals, but it is difficult to distinguish juvenile Guadalupe fur seals from juveniles of California sea lions and Northern fur seals due to physiological similarities.

Population

Guadalupe fur seals were known to reside in Baja California, Mexico and Southern California but were heavily hunted in the 19th century due to their valuable fur and were believed to be extinct. However, they were found on Isla Guadalupe in Baja California in a cave in 1954; this is now the only place of Guadalupe fur seal reproduction. Currently, their population is about one-fifth of its 2013 population, which was between 34,000 and 44,000.

Behavior

Guadalupe fur seals create caves on land which can causes social pressures amongst the individuals. The seals that do not breed often play with each other by barking, lunging at each other, and pushing each other into the water. Other behaviors of the animal consist of waving their hind flippers in the water whist face down in the water. Additionally, when interacting with humans, these seals are not typically aggressive. They are often seen with their heads under the water and pay little attention to the observer.

Feeding

Guadalupe fur seals are a pelagic species that spend most of their time on the open ocean. Thus, they dive to catch food and forage for about two weeks before returning to land to feed. Guadalupe fur seals commonly hunt in shallow water (maximum depth of 250 feet/76 meters) and catch squid, mackerels, and lanternfish. They feed exclusively at night.

Breeding

Observations suggest that males of reproducing age claim particular sites for a number of years, though territorial fights are uncommon amongst males once regions have been taken. Tenure of territorial males lasts from 35-122 days. Males mate with up to twelve females during mating season, and births occur from mid-June through mid-July, though most births take place in June. After birth, females nurse their pups for 8-10 days. In the nine months following the birth, females alternate between spending 9-13 days foraging food food and spending 5-6 days nursing pups. After this period, the pups are considered adults and are on their own. Mothers and pups recognize each other by unique noises and smells.