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• The harp seal is a marine mammal. It is sometimes called a saddle seal or Greenland seal.Fishers And Oceans Canada: Underwater World - The Harp Seal The "saddle" nickname comes from shape of the markings on the seal's side and back.National Geographic: Harp Seal There is fossil evidence that the harp seal existed 20 million years ago.Fishers And Oceans Canada: Underwater World - The Harp Seal

• Fast Facts

  1. Habitat: Arctic Ocean and northwest Atlantic OceanBBC: Wildfacts - Harp Seal
  2. Diet: Carnivorous
  3. Size: 5.25 to 6.25 feetNational Geographic: Harp Seal
  4. Weight: 400 poundsNational Geographic: Harp Seal
  5. Life span: 30 years in the wildNational Geographic: Harp Seal
  6. Group name: Colony or rookeryNational Geographic: Harp Seal
  7. Gestation period: 7 monthsAnimal Diversity Web: Harp Seal
  8. Number of offspring: 1 (average)Animal Diversity Web: Harp Seal
  9. Predators: Sharks, killer whales, polar bears, walruses, humansBBC: Wildfacts - Harp Seal
  10. Family: PhocidaeSeaWorld.org: Animal Bytes - Harp Seal
  11. Genus species: Pagophilus groenlandicusSeaWorld.org: Animal Bytes - Harp Seal

• Physical Description

  The harp seal has a long, flat head and small, angular flippers. A newborn has a white coat which is shed at about three to four weeks old.SeaWorld.org: Animal Bytes - Harp Seal Adult males are silver gray color with black heads, while females are more pale in color.National Geographic: Harp Seal

• Behavior

  The harp seal is solitary except during mating season. Females give birth from late February to late March. The pups are left on their own after about two to four weeks.BBC: Wildfacts - Harp Seal

  A harp seal will migrate south in the autumn and north during the summer, traveling a total of 6,000 to 8,000 kilometers on the journey. Animal Diversity Web: Harp Seal

  The harp seal is a very good swimmer and can stay submerged for up to 15 minutes.National Geographic: Harp Seal

• Hunting

  The harp seal has been hunted for oil and meat since the 1600's.SeaWorld.org: Animal Bytes - Harp Seal

  There were over 270,000 seals killed in Canada during the controversial annual seal hunt in 2007. Most of these were harp seals.The Humane Society Of The United States: Protect Seals The Humane Society Of The United States: About the Canadian Seal Hunt SeaWorld.org: Animal Bytes - Harp Seal

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Seals | Ringed Seal | Seal Hunting | Canada Annual Seal Hunt | Elephant Seal | Weddell Seal | Leopard Seal

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