Since I am going to be learning a lot more about ice seals, I thought that I'd do a creature feature on the Hawaiian Monk Seal so when the time comes, you will be able to compare and contrast them.
Creature Feature HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL
Scientific name: Monachus schauinslandi
Hawaiian name: ilio-holo-kai. The Hawaiian name means the "the dog that runs in the sea."
underwater monk seal
A picture of a Hawaiian Monk Seal from NOAA
Tell me about the monk seal.
The Hawaiian monk seal has a streamlined body to aid in swimming. Their front and back limbs are flipper-like. The front flippers are smaller than the back flippers. The front flippers have five fingers. The hind flippers cannot be turned forward, so they must wiggle when on land. In the water, they propel themselves by moving the hind flippers and use their front flippers as rudders. They are dark gray on their backside and silvery gray on their stomachs.
How big are monk seals?
Males are approximately seven feet long and weigh about 400 pounds. Female Hawaiian monk seals are larger than males, up to 7.5 feet long and weigh up to 600 pounds.
How many monk seals are alive today?
The population is estimated around 1300.
How old do they get?
Hawaiian monk seals can live for up to 30 years.
Where does it live?
Once found all over the Hawaiian Islands, the Hawaiian monk seal is now found only in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It likes to hang out in reefs, shallow lagoons, open ocean and beaches.
What do they eat?
Fish, eels and crustaceans.
Do they have any special adaptations that allow them to survive in the very warm water of the Pacific Ocean?
These seals do not have special physical adaptations to deal with the warm climate in which they live. Instead, they remain inactive during the heat of the day, finding a resting spot with shade or wet sand. They are solitary animals. The Hawaiian monk seal evolved in an area without people or other land predators. Therefore, it did not learn to fear people and is easily approachable and disturbed.
How often do they reproduce?
A pregnant female gives birth to a single pup from mid-March to late May. Pups are about three feet long and weigh about 37 pounds when they are born. Pups stay with their mothers for 35 to 40 days while they nurse. During this time the mother gives the pup swimming lessons each day. While the pup is nursing, the mother fasts and may lose up to 200 pounds during this time. When the pup has been weaned, the mother returns to the sea and the pup must fend for itself.
Mamma and Baby Monk Seal
monk seal and baby
This picture can be found at the NOAA Ocean explorer website. Click here for more information.
What are the threats to the Monk Seal?
Humans; commercial hunting for skins, entanglement in fishing nets and long lines. They also die from disease.
Did you know?
A close relative of the Hawaiian Monk Seal, the Caribbean Monk seal, went extinct 10 years ago.
Most all of the information for this creature feature was taken directly from:
http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/monk_seal.html
Word for word, just copied and pasted. I’d like to credit them for writing and researching it. You can find lots more information there too! Make sure you give them credit if you are using this information for reference!