Harp Seal

Harp Seal

The Harp Seal or Saddleback Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) is a species of earless seal native to the northenmost Atlantic Ocean
and the parts of the Artic Ocean.

The Harp Seal has a silvery-gray body. it's eyes are pure black.
it has black harp or wishbone-shaped marking on the back.
The baby harp seal  (pup)  has a yelloy-white coat at birth, but after three days the

the coat turns white and stays white for about 12 days
. Adult harp seals grow up to be 1.7 to 2.0 m long and weight from 140 to 190 kg

Harp seals combine anatomical and behavioral approaches to managing their body temperatures, instead of elevating their metabolic rate and energy requirements. A thick coat of blubber insulates its body and provides energy when food is scarce or during fasting. Blubber also streamlines its body for more efficient swimming. Brown fat warms blood as it returns from the body surface as well as providing energy, most importantly for just-weaned pups.
Flippers act as heat exchangers, warming or cooling the seal as needed. On ice, the seal can press its fore-flippers to its body and its hind-flippers together to reduce heat loss.

Vision is its critical sense. Its eyes are proportionally large and contain a large spherical lens, improving its focusing ability. Its pupil is mobile to help it adapt to the intense glare of the Arctic ice. Its retina is rod-dominated and backed by a cat-like and reflective tapetum lucidum, enhancing its low light sensitivity. Its rods best sense blue-green, while its cones help with bright light and may provide some color discrimination. Its cornea is constantly tear-covered, to protect it from salt. Lacking tear ducts, it "cries" to remove its tears. On ice, the mother identifies her offspring by smell. This sense may also warn of an approaching predator. Underwater, this seal closes its nostrils and smells nothing. Its whiskers, called vibrissae, lie in horizontal rows on either side of its snout. They may provide a touch sense, and underwater, also respond to low-frequency vibrations, such as movement.

Harp seals prefer to swim in the ocean, spending relatively little time on land. These are extremely social animals and they can be very noisy, as well. They will form large colonies where they spend a great deal of time. Within that loose structure, smaller groups with their own hierarchy are believed to form. Sometimes, these large groups will have to go their separate ways there. Many harp seals are able to live up to 30 years in the wild. After 12 days the mothers abandon their babies. On the ice, pups call their mothers by "bawling" and "mumble" while playing with others. Adults "growl" and "warble" to warn off others. Underwater, adults express themselves with more than 19 call types during courting and mating. But, there is some " controversial" tradition from Canada native people, it called Seal Clubbing, or literally, club a seal/hit a seal with a club. Well i hope those cute seal alright. Global warming is a time bomb for seal life because Global warming can destroy seal original habitat. Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harp_seal http://www.bergoiata.org/fe/divers02/magnificent_moments_csg011_harp_seal_in_the_eyes_of_the_world.jpg http://www.hdwallpapersn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Harp_Seal_Wallpapers.jpg http://www.forgetthebox.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kissy-Kissy-Harp-Seals.jpg