All about the seal. What kind of animal is the seal? Appearance and behavior characteristics

Baikal seal, or Baikal seal (lat. Pusa sibirica GmeL) is the only mammal that lives in. According to the classification, the Baikal seal belongs to the family of true seals (Phocidae), the genus Pusa. Researchers believe that Baikal seal descended from a common ancestor with the northern ringed seal. Moreover, the ancestral forms of these two species are later than the Caspian seal.

Taxon rank. The Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica) belongs to the genus Common (true) seals (Phoca) of the Seal family (Phocidae) of the order Pinnipeds (Pinnipedia) of the class Mammals (Mammalia).

General appearance and morphophysiological characteristics. Large aquatic mammal. The body length of sexually mature animals is 120–140 cm, and the weight can reach 80–90 kg. A newborn seal weighs about 3.0 kg. The hair color is one color, without spots. The back is usually one color, olive-gray or brownish-silver-gray, the sides and belly are lighter and yellower. Kumutkans (individuals that molted for the first time from 1 month to 1 year) are silver-gray. Squirrels (animals under 1 month of age) are yellowish-white. Frequent setting of teeth with an increased number of additional vertices is associated with consumption small fish. Enlarged eyeballs are an adaptation to feeding in low light and twilight conditions. The powerful claw apparatus of the front flippers is designed to make and maintain breathing vents in solid ice from freezing. Elevated blood hemoglobin concentrations are associated with deep-sea diving in search of food for long periods of time without breathing. The maximum diving depth is 300 m. Maximum speed movement in water – 20–25 km/h. The maximum duration of stay under water is 65 minutes.

Distribution and migration. Habitat: the entire water area of Lake Baikal. In summer - in the Middle and water areas adjacent to the eastern coast of the Northern

The seal is the final link in the trophic chain of Baikal, since it uses the products of the upper links of the chain (phyto-, zooplankton, bacterioplankton and fish) and thereby experiences the manifestations of all the changes occurring in the Baikal ecosystem.

In the process of evolution, the Baikal seal acquired a number of ecological, physiological and structural-morphological adaptations that distinguish it from closely related species. The seal is an almost pelagic animal that has practically lost contact with land (however, the seal retained the need for a solid substrate (ice) for the breeding season). IN summer time animals gather in coastal rookeries far from human settlements. The well-being of the Baikal seal population is largely due to the formation of a reproductive strategy (the construction of lairs, the energetics of lactation, rapid maturation, the development of “diving” abilities of puppies, etc.), which ensures high survival of offspring in cold and deep-sea reservoirs.

Currently, the seal population is in a state of dynamic equilibrium with the main food items, and the ichthyoproduction of the pelagic zone of the lake. Baikal can support a population of about 100 thousand individuals. The Baikal seal is characterized by high plasticity and resistance to biotic and abiotic factors. It was noted that the seal is a flexible animal that adapts to changes in the ice regime, the amount of food supply and tolerates epizootics relatively well. According to E. A. Petrov, at the end of the twentieth century, the number of female seals was 47,600 individuals, males - 28,200 individuals. In 2002, the size of the entire population with offspring was 99 thousand individuals. In modern conditions for rational use Human resources of the Baikal seal population require constant monitoring of the state of the number and health of the Baikal seal. This will preserve the seal and thereby contribute to the ecological balance of the unique ecosystem of Lake Baikal.

Source: Baikal Studies: textbook. allowance / N. S. Berkin, A. A. Makarov, O. T. Rusinek. – Irkutsk: Irkutsk Publishing House. state Univ., 2009. pp. 202-204.

An analysis of the literature data on the origin of the Baikal seal Phoca sibirica was carried out by E. A. Petrov 2 . According to prevailing ideas, the Baikal seal belongs to an ancient isolate formed in the Pliocene in the northern or Far Eastern seas, or in the system of freshwater lakes of Northern Asia. The time of divergence of the Baikal seal from the common trunk of Phoca is 18.4 million years 3. Analysis of the amino acid composition of myoglobin using molecular diagnostic methods showed a close relationship between the seal, the spotted seal (Phoca vitulina) and the gray seal (Halechoerus gryphus) and it was calculated that these species separated from a common ancestor in the last 7 million years 4. Based on geological data, researchers suggest that the most likely time of the seal’s introduction to Baikal is the Pleistocene (i.e., the last 2 million years). Due to cold weather, seals were forced out of the north into the Great Siberian Lakes and then settled into Baikal, the Caspian Sea, lakes and rivers Western Europe. Later, seals entered the Baltic and North Seas. The estimated time of separation from the common ancestor of the branch of the spotted seal and the ringed seal from the Baikal seal was 1.7–1 million years 5.

According to E. A. Petrov, the morphometric parameters of the skull of the Baikal seal are closer to the ringed seal than to the Caspian seal. These data are in good agreement with the results of Japanese biologists who studied the mitochondrial DNA of these seals. It was shown that the Caspian seal separated from a common ancestral trunk about 640 thousand years ago, and the separation of the ringed and Baikal seals occurred 380 thousand years ago 6.

Based on various data, it can be assumed that the seal entered Baikal from northern seas about 2 million years ago, and possibly later. And the slight variability of the mitochondrial DNA genome of the Baikal seal apparently indicates insignificant genetic heterogeneity of its population and its origin from a small number of ancestors that penetrated Baikal 7 .

Source: Baikal Studies: textbook. allowance / N. S. Berkin, A. A. Makarov, O. T. Rusinek. – Irkutsk: Irkutsk Publishing House. state Univ., 2009. pp. 222-223.

Nerpa in questions and answers

605. Are there mammals in Baikal?

The only representative of mammals is the seal, or seal (PusasibiricaGmel.). According to the classification, the Baikal seal belongs to the family of true seals (Phocidae), kind Pusa. Researchers believe (in particular, K.K. Chapsky, a widely known expert on pinnipeds in the USSR and abroad) that the Baikal seal descended from a common ancestor with the northern ringed seal. Moreover, the ancestral forms of these two species are later than Caspian seal.

606. Where did the seal come from in Baikal?

There is no direct evidence yet. It is assumed What it penetrated from the Arctic Ocean along the Yenisei during the Ice Age, when the rivers were dammed by ice advancing from the north. Other scientists do not exclude the possibility of its penetration along the Lena, which is believed to have flowed from Lake Baikal.

607. Who was the first to describe the seal (nerpa) of Baikal?

There is a mention of it in the reports of the first explorers who came here in the first halfXVIIcentury. A scientific description was first made during the work of the 2nd Kamchatka, or Great Northern Expedition, led by V. Bering. As part of this expedition, a detachment worked on Lake Baikal under the leadership of I. G. Gmelin, who comprehensively studied the nature of the lake and its surroundings and described the seal.

608. Did the seal live in the Bauntovsky lakes?

According to the legend of local residents, seals quite recently (one or two centuries ago) were found in the Bauntovsky lakes (Bauntovsky lakes are connected with the Vitim River basin). It is believed that the seal got there bypp. Lena and Vitim. Some naturalists believe that the seal came to the Bauntovsky lakes from Baikal and that these lakes were supposedly connected with it.

However, reliable data confirming one version or another has not yet been received.

609. How many seals are there in Baikal?

According to the records of employees of the Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, there are currently about 60 thousand heads. Counting is being done different ways. The fastest, but less reliable, is visually from an airplane that flies along a certain route network. The census takers look out the window and mark each lair they see, or they take aerial photographs of the routes and use them to count the lairs. And then they are recalculated from a unit area to the entire water area of the lake.

The second method is to lay out about 100 1.5X1.5 survey sites across Lake Baikal km each. They go around them on a motorcycle or walk around them on the ice and count all the lairs that are found on the sites. Then a recalculation is also carried out for the entire water area of the lake. And finally, the route method. On two or three motorcycles, a group of surveyors travels across Lake Baikal at a certain distance from each other, sufficient to see from the motorcycle all the lairs they encounter. IN last years The most accurate (maximum statistical error ±10%) areal census of seals is used.

610. What is the age limit for seals in Baikal?

The oldest age of seals in Lake Baikal is defined by employee Limnological Institute V.D. Pastukhov, 56 years for females and 52 years for males.

611. At what age does the seal become sexually mature?

At the age of 3-6 years it is capable of mating, producing offspring at the age of 4-7 years. Males reach sexual maturity a year or two later. Pregnancy in seals lasts 11 months. It begins with embryonic diapause - a delay in the development of the embryo in the female womb for 3-3.5 months.

612. How many cubs does a seal give birth to during its life?

During her life, a female can probably bring up to two dozen or more cubs, given that she is capable of bearing offspring until she is 40 years old. Females usually give birth annually. However, every year up to 10-20% of females remain barren for various reasons.

613. When does a seal give birth to its young?

The puppies' period lasts for more than a month - from the end of February to the beginning of April. Most seals appear in mid-March. They are born on ice, in a snowy lair. During the first period, while they are feeding on their mother’s milk, they do not dive into the water, but prefer to lie down in the den.

614. How do babies differ from adults?

Usually the seal gives birth to one, rarely two, cubs. The weight of a newborn is up to 4 kg. Cubs have fur white- this is their protective coloring. She sheds in the first weeks of life, while they feed on their mother's milk, remaining almost unnoticed in the snow. With the transition to independent feeding on fish, seals molt: the fur gradually changes color to silver-gray in two to three-month-olds, and then brownish-brown in older and adult individuals.

615. What is khubun (khubunok), kumatkan?

A young seal calf is called khubunok (Buryat khubun - calf wild beast). For the first time, a moulted animal is called a kumatkan. St. John's wort is hunted mainly for Kumatkans.

616. What size does the seal reach in Baikal?

The average weight of seals in Baikal is about 50 kg, the maximum weight of males is 130-150 kg, length 1.7-1.8 m. Females are smaller in size - 1.3-1.6 m and up to 110 kg. Linear growth ends in seals by the age of 17-19 years, and weight growth continues for a number of years and is possible until the end of life.

617. At what speed does the seal swim?

Maximum speed 20-25 km/h. But she swims at such speed when she moves away from danger. In calm conditions it swims much slower - probably 10-15 km/h.

618. To what depths can the seal dive?

According to fishermen, seals were caught in nets at depths of up to 200 m, but, as a rule, they dive to much shallower depths. Since the seal catches food in a well-lit area (25-30 m), it apparently does not need to dive deep.

619. What pressure can a seal withstand when diving to depth?

If a seal is capable of diving up to 200 m, then, therefore, it can withstand a pressure of 21 atm.

620. Why does the seal not suffer from decompression sickness?

Probably the main reason is that the seal does not breathe under water, so the saturation of tissues, including blood, with gases remains the same as atmospheric pressure. There is no excess saturation with nitrogen, although a seal can undergo a pressure change from 1 to 10-15 atm in half an hour. and more.

Divers who spend a short time under water also do not experience decompression sickness, although, as is known, the record dive without apparatus is 100 m or more. Probably for the same reason, whales (sperm whales), which are capable of diving to depths of up to 1200 m and withstanding a pressure of 121 atm, do not suffer from decompression sickness.

621. Do seals sleep in water?

According to observations, the seal sleeps in water, as it is in an immobilized state for quite a long time, probably as long as there is enough oxygen in the blood. While the seal was sleeping, scuba divers swam close to it, touched it and even turned it over, but the animal continued to sleep.

622. How long can a seal stay under water?

Under experimental conditions (in a large aquarium), when it was held above water, the seal remained there for up to 65 minutes (a record duration). In nature, it stays under water for up to 20-25 minutes - this is enough for it to get food or escape from danger.

623. Where does the seal winter?

On the ice in lairs under the snow, often in hummocky areas of Lake Baikal.

624. What are products?

When the lake is covered with ice, the seal can only breathe through vents - spare holes in the ice. The seal takes a breather by raking the ice from below with the nails of its forelimbs. Around her lair there are up to a dozen or more auxiliary products, which can be tens or even hundreds away from the main one. meters.

Vents are usually round in shape. The size of the auxiliary vents is 10-15 cm (enough to stick your nose above the surface of the water), and the main vent is up to 40-50 cm. From below, the vents have the shape of an overturned funnel - they expand significantly downwards. Interestingly, the ability to make perfume is an innate instinct. In the experimental aquarium, for the seal to rest on the water surface, a small platform made of five-centimeter foam plastic was installed, and the rest of the aquarium was open water. Young seals, one month and two months old, made holes in the foam, raking it with their claws from below, stuck out their noses and breathed into the vents, although there was open water nearby. Having become “saturated” with air, they went under the water again. It should be noted that the seals were caught at a week or two weeks of age, when they were still feeding on their mother’s milk. I had to feed them with condensed milk through a nipple from a bottle, like children. They had not yet swum in water and were afraid of water. But when they grew up, they showed what they were capable of.

625. How does the seal get food in winter?

Dives into the main vent in the lair. In search of food, it can travel a considerable distance. If she doesn’t have enough oxygen while getting food, she uses additional vents.

626. How much food does a seal need per day?

Under experimental conditions (in an aquarium), the seal's daily diet ranged from 3 to 5 kg of fish. An adult seal eats up to 1 ton of fish per year. The main food of the seal is golomyanka-goby fish. falls into the seal's food by accident and in very little time large quantities, no more than 1-2% of the daily diet. Omul, like grayling and whitefish, is a very energetic and fast fish, and the seal simply cannot catch up with it. And those individuals that do come across are probably weakened, and their selection only improves the population, maintaining its “athletic” shape.

627. How and when do they hunt seals?

Usually in the spring, when the snow begins to melt from the surface and the main vents are exposed, near which it warms itself or rests with its newborn offspring. The hunt begins in April and continues during the spring ice drift, when you can sail on ships or boats among the ice floes on which beds are arranged. In addition to shooting in Lately Net fishing is increasingly being used. Special nets are installed under the ice near the main vents, and when the seal returns “home” it ends up in them. Catching with nets is more rational, since there are almost no losses, which occur during shooting, when wounded animals go under the ice and die there.

628. How much do seals catch per year?

Over the previous decade, fishing cooperatives annually produced up to 2.5 thousand heads. Only in the last 3 years was the production of 5-6 thousand heads allowed. This was done in order to determine the role of the seal population in the biological cycle of matter and energy in the Baikal ecosystem and to develop methods for managing it.

629. Is the seal edible?

Local residents of the shores of Lake Baikal consider seal meat and especially seal fat to be healing. Nerpa hunters - seal hunters - and Buryats consider fresh, still warm seal liver a delicacy and eat it with great pleasure. The meat of young seals - khubunks - is especially tender. It resembles chicken in taste and tenderness. If the meat of adult seals, even after heat treatment, retains the smell of fish, then the meat of khubunks is almost devoid of any foreign odors. Seal meat and fat are used in the treatment of pulmonary diseases (tuberculosis), peptic ulcers of internal organs, primarily the stomach, etc. The seal's liver contains many vitamins.

630. How is seal skin used?

The skins of adult seals are used for padding hunting skis, for making clothes, mittens, shoes (high boots), etc.

The most popular, beautiful, durable and expensive fur is that of three- to four-month-old seals. The color of their fur is silver-gray, it is quite highly prized at international fur auctions and is monetary fund. The skins of cubs up to two to three weeks of age have white, soft, fluffy fur, which can be dyed.

Nerpa is freshwater species seals and lives only on Lake Baikal. It is also considered a symbol of Baikal along with the local omul. Her images can be seen on many souvenirs and emblems of Irkutsk. Appearance The seal attracts many foreign tourists.

Characteristic

seals in wildlife can live up to 55 years. Their growth stops at the 19th year of life, but their weight can increase and decrease throughout their lives. Animal parameters:

an adult Baikal seal has a body length of 165 centimeters;
weight fluctuates around 50-130 kilograms;
The average life expectancy is 55 years.

The usual speed of underwater movement does not exceed 8 km/h. In case of hunting and threat, it can increase the pace. On land, Baikal seals move rather slowly with the help of their tail and flippers; when they sense danger, they begin to move in leaps and starts, pushing off the ground.

Baikal seals do not dive to great depths, but, as local fishermen say, they were caught with nets at a depth of about 200 m. INC SB RAS - the abbreviation translates as Baikal Limnological Museum - reports that seals can dive to depths of up to 300 m.

Apparently, animals do not need to dive to a significant depth, because they mainly obtain food in illuminated areas, and this does not exceed 30 meters in depth. On average, a seal can swim underwater for more than an hour, which is enough time for it to escape from its pursuer or find food. The Baikal seal can dive into water up to 200 m and withstand pressure of 21 atmospheres without harm.

This type of seal is distributed only on Lake Baikal, mainly in the middle and northern zone of the lake. A massive accumulation of seals can be seen in June on the land of the Ushkany Islands; such islands are most suitable for their natural habitat. As soon as sunset sets in, Baikal seals begin to swim to the islands in large numbers. If a ship with the engine turned off is floating next to the animals, the seals will definitely show their curiosity and can swim as close as possible to the water transport, periodically emerging from the water and observing the situation.

Interesting fact! This species of seal can only be seen on Lake Baikal; it is not found anywhere else. You can watch these animals endlessly, which is what visiting tourists do on the Ushkany Islands.

From an evolutionary point of view

The Baikal seal is included in the modern classification of true seals. The well-known professor of pinnipeds, K. K. Chapsky, states: the seal descended from its ancestor, the ringed seal. The ancestral form of the animals is late, unlike the Caspian seal.

Seal food

The Baikal seal mainly eats non-commercial fish: Baikal goby and golomyanka. In a completed cycle, a seal can eat about a ton of fish. Sometimes seals feed on local omul, but it makes up approximately 2% of the total diet.

How seals reproduce

Gestation period of Baikal seals 11 months pass. At the beginning of several months, embryonic diapause continues. Sexual maturity occurs in the 4th year of life, and from 4 to 7 years of age they can bear offspring. In males, puberty begins a little later, at the age of 6 years.

After 40 years, females stop giving birth, but throughout their lives they are capable of giving birth to about 20 cubs, possibly more if there are favorable living conditions. Females can whelp every year. But about 10-20% of females become infertile every year for various reasons, although the duration of this period does not exceed several months, the end of February and until the first half of April.

Young animals

Females, from February to March, prepare a snow shelter, where they give birth to cubs; usually one individual is born, sometimes two. The weight of the cub is 4 kilograms, and the color of the newborn is white, they are also called squirrels . About the cubs:

On average, the duration of a small seal's stay in the den is 5 weeks; it does not leave this place and feeds only on its mother's milk. The cub manages to molt before the shelter is destroyed; before that, when it feeds on its mother’s milk, it does not climb into the water.
The female can leave the small seal only when she goes after prey; the rest of the time she does not leave her den. When the outside frost is -20, the temperature inside the snow room varies within 5 degrees Celsius.
After 60-75 days, the lactation period ends. Lactation can last up to 105 days, but this happens quite rarely, it all depends on the ice cover. Before independent fishing, the young animals completely molt, their fur changes from white to gray-silver color, this period passes gradually until 3 months of age. In older Baikal seals, the color changes to brownish-brown.

Winter life of seals

On the hummocky territory of Lake Baikal seals spend the winter on the ice in snow-covered lairs, also prefer to live between piled up pieces of ice that form canopies. During the process of ice formation, animals on the ice of the lake make the main blower with a cross-section of 150 cm on average; they continue to maintain it in the desired condition and eliminate the growing ice.

When severe frosts set in and Baikal completely freezes, the animal breathes under the snow only with the help of secondary vents; it makes them by raking the base of the ice, using the claws of the forelimbs. The seal provides its home with a dozen vents, which are located along the perimeter of the den and extend for tens of meters, and even hundreds. The shape of the outlet is round, the diameter is no more than 15 cm, this hole is enough for the seal to stick its nose above the surface of the water. The base of the duct is narrowed and resembles an inverted funnel.

The peculiarity of constructing vents- This is the innate instinct of seals. Just for fun, an experiment was carried out in an aquarium. A sheet of foam plastic 5 cm thick was laid on the water. The rest of the water space was free. Young seals at the age of 1-2 months began to make special holes on the floating platform - vents through which they breathed, placing their noses there. Despite the fact that there was open water all around, they swam up from below and saturated themselves with air, then dived back into the depths.

These experimental pups were caught at about a couple of weeks of age, when they were fed on their mother's milk. They had to be fed condensed milk using a baby bottle with a nipple. This means that before the experiment there was no immersion in water, but when they grew up a little, on their first swim they proved that making vents is indeed an innate ability.

Sleep and the ecological chain of the Baikal seal

In a dream, the seal does not move and sleeps directly in the water for quite a long time. It remains in this state until the oxygen in the blood runs out. It often happens that scuba divers swim close to the seal and touch it, even turn the animal over, but despite this, the Baikal seal continues to sleep.

In the environment ecological chain the animal takes first place and only man can pose a threat.

How the seal appeared on Lake Baikal

Scientists do not agree on how the animal could have gotten to Baikal. But many researchers prefer the version of I.D. Chersky. He states that this type of seal settled on the lake during the Ice Age, swimming with omul through the network of the Angara and Yenisei rivers. Other researchers say that the seal entered along the Lena River, and there was also flow from the lake, but the information remains just an assumption.

How the seal was characterized in the old days

The first explorers made the first mention of the animal; they came to this area in the first half of the 17th century. During the work of the second Great Northern, or Kamchatka expedition, the first scientific mention was made; the organization was led by V. Bering. The expedition included a group of researchers led by I. G. Gmelin.

This detachment studied the nature of Lake Baikal in a diverse direction, as well as its surroundings, at that moment a seal called a nerpa was spotted.

As the people living here say, a couple of centuries ago it was possible to see a seal on Baunt Lakes. She could only get there through the Vitim and Lena rivers. But some naturalists believe that the Baikal seal entered this lake through Baikal itself, which was previously connected with the Bauntov lakes. But true sources of information for both versions could not be found.

Number of seals

The count was carried out by the Limnological Siberian Institute, which is a branch of the Academy of Sciences Russian Federation. Today the number of Baikal seals is approximately 100,000 individuals. Counting is done by many methods, but the most effective is airborne observation; the plane moves along certain routes. People working as census takers inspect the territory through a porthole, in the process they notice the den and make marks on the map, but most often aerial photographs of the areas are collected, then a count of the seals’ refuges is carried out. There are 3 ways to count:

The number of observed lairs per unit area is multiplied by the entire territory of Baikal.
In the second method, one hundred plots with the following parameters are distributed to accountants: 1500*1500 m each plot. The crawl is carried out on foot or on a snow bike, and all shelters seen are marked and recorded. Next, individuals are also counted for the entire water area of Lake Baikal.
Last method lies in the route method. Counters on motorcycles ride along a given route across the lake, their distance between them is selected to such an extent that it is possible to notice all the lairs that come their way.

But the most accurate method is counting by squares; this is the method that has been used recently. An employee of the local institute, V.D. Pastukhov, determined the oldest age of the seals. Life expectancy: 52 years for males and 56 years for females.

Interesting fact! At the end of the 20th century there was mass death Baikal seals due to the disease – canine distemper virus, which affects most domestic and wild animals. During this period, 1,500 seals died.

Fishing and hunting activities

Valuable fur of the Baikal seal- This is the main industry. Local residents use meat, fat and internal organs. Sometimes the local population engages in fishing for food purposes. Catching begins in April until the moment when it is still possible to move on the ice. Hunting is also carried out with the help of nets, such hunting is more humane and losses during catching become less than during shooting, because the Baikal seal may be wounded and will not be able to live long. Approximately 6,000 individuals are caught each year.

Poachers, despite legal hunting, continue to exterminate cubs after the very first molt. Predominantly, hunting is carried out on small young animals - this is strictly prohibited by law. Even despite this, the Baikal seals have not become a species listed in the Red Book; there is only a note in the list that it is necessary to show respect to animals Special attention, as well as their condition in the wild.

Interesting fact! From 1895 to 1897 seal lard was used in medicinal purposes for gold mine workers. This Baikal seal fat is considered medicinal, so they say local residents, it has medicinal properties and is used for stomach and lung diseases.

The seal is an amazing animal that lives in extreme conditions. In addition, the seal helped the peoples of northern Russia to survive in difficult conditions. This statement is indisputable, since only hunting for seals and various types of pinnipeds allowed them to survive in the most difficult conditions.

What kind of mammal is this that saved the Yakuts, Buryats and several other small nations living in the northern regions of the Russian Federation from extinction?

Nerpa - description of the beast, photos and videos

This amazing mammal has a spindle-shaped body that smoothly passes into the head. The limbs of the seal are flippers, with the front flippers equipped with powerful claws and impressive muscles. It is the forelimbs that help her make a hole in the ice in order to breathe air or rest on the ice or stones after hunting or escaping from a predator.

In addition, this mammal has a significant layer of subcutaneous fat, the thickness of which can vary from 2 to 14 cm.

Scientists distinguish three types of this type of seal: Baikal, Caspian and ringed seals. It was the fat, skin and meat of these animals that allowed several small nationalities of our Motherland to survive.

Using animal fat and meat for food, heating and lighting their homes, and skins to make clothing, boats and the homes themselves, thousands, and possibly millions of people, were able to withstand the harshest living conditions.

The habitat of this unique mammal is quite extensive and affects both the regions of the far north of the Russian Federation and in lakes northern regions our Motherland. In addition, these animals are also found in the Caspian Sea. This type of seal, living in Lake Baikal and the Caspian Sea, is considered the most interesting for scientific study, since many scientists consider them to be witnesses of the initial spread of seals across the lakes after the end of the Ice Age.

Because the this type Since the seal family, like its closest relatives, is a predator, the basis of the animal’s diet is fish. In addition, in the event of an unsuccessful hunt, these mammals will not refuse various types of crustaceans and zooplankton.

At the same time, the seal does not give preference to any particular type of fish, but hunts any fish that is common in its habitat. However, besides humans, they also have natural enemies, which significantly affect the seal population. TO natural enemies include: sea lions, killer whales, walruses, arctic foxes and other sea and land animals.

Despite the colonization of the regions of the far north of Russia and the disruption of the way of life that has occurred, the commercial harvest of seals pursues almost the same goals as several hundred years ago. Fat, which has some medical properties, is used for various diseases associated with hypothermia of the body (frostbite), and meat - with a lack of vitamin C (scurvy).

However, the main reasons for industrial extraction remain animal skins. Due to the presence of dense thick fur and the high strength of the skin itself, clothing and hats made from the skin of this animal are highly popular not only among residents of the far north, but also among residents of more southern regions.

Considering the above, we can confidently say that if the seal, as a species, had died in the process of evolution, it would have become much poorer.

Let's watch the video - a seal communicates with a girl:

The Baikal freshwater seal (nerpa) is the only mammal of Lake Baikal. According to morphological and biological characteristics, the Baikal seal is close to the ringed seal, which lives in the seas of the Far North and Far East. There are some signs of similarity between the seal and the Caspian seal.

The seal is called a symbol of Baikal, the same as the famous Baikal omul, its images are used on emblems. This is an interesting object of ecological tourism.

Description

Who are seals? These amazing mammals They have a spindle-shaped body that smoothly turns into the head. They reach a height of 165 cm, and their weight ranges from 50 to 130 kg. The body of the animal contains a huge amount of subcutaneous fat, which perfectly retains heat in cold water and helping the animal survive long periods lack of food, and also stay on the water surface during sleep. They sleep so soundly that there have even been cases when scuba divers could turn them over without interfering with their sleep.

The strong skin of the animal is covered with hard, dense and short hair. They have membranes between their toes, and their front flippers are equipped with powerful claws. It is thanks to the forelimbs that seals make an outlet in the ice in order to go out after the hunt and rest on the rocks or on the ice, as well as in order to breathe in fresh air. The seal has a phenomenal ability to stay under water continuously for up to 40 minutes. This is due to the presence of a small lung volume and the content of dissolved oxygen in the blood. Thanks to its hind legs, the animal swims quite quickly under water, but on its surface it is completely clumsy and clumsy.

Features and habitat of the Baikal seal

This is a fairly large animal, almost human height 1.65 cm, and weighing from 50 to 130 kg. The animal is covered everywhere with thick and tough hair. It is not there only in the eyes and nostrils. It is even found on the animal's flippers. Seal fur is mostly gray or gray-brown in color with a beautiful silver tint. Most often, the lower part of her body is lighter than the upper part.

The animal seal swims without problems thanks to the membranes on its fingers. Strong claws are clearly visible on the front paws. They are slightly smaller on the hind legs. The seal has practically no neck.

Females are always slightly larger than males. The eyes of the seal have a third eyelid. After being in the air for a long time, her eyes begin to water involuntarily. There is simply a huge amount of fat deposits in the animal’s body.

The seal's fat layer is about 10-15 cm. The least amount of fat is in the area of the head and front paws. Fat helps the animal not to freeze in cold water.

Also, with the help of this fat, it is easy for the seal to survive difficult periods of lack of food. The subcutaneous fat of the Baikal seal helps it lie on the surface of the water for a long time.

She can even sleep in this position. Their sleep is enviably very sound. There have been cases when scuba divers turned over these sleeping animals, and they did not even wake up.

The Baikal seal nerpa lives exclusively on Lake Baikal. There are, however, exceptions and seals end up in the Angara. IN winter time During the year, they spend almost all their time in the underwater kingdom of the lake and only in rare cases can they appear on its surface.

In order to have enough oxygen under water, seals use their sharp claws to make small holes in the ice. The usual dimensions of such holes are from 40 to 50 cm. The deeper the funnel, the wider it is.

The end of the winter period for this pinniped animal is characterized by its emergence onto the ice. At first summer month There is a huge concentration of these animals in the area of the coast of the Ushkany Islands.

This is where the real seal rookery is located. As soon as the sun sets in the sky, these animals begin to move together towards the islands. After the ice floes disappear from the lake, seals try to stay closer to the coastal zone.

Behavior

Adults tend to be solitary and love to travel. In winter, they make holes in the ice for breathing (vents) and maintain them in a non-freezing condition. Some animals, in addition to one main ice hole, build up to 10 additional ice holes and vigilantly ensure that they do not freeze, regularly destroying the thin ice shell by pressing their muzzle from below.

If its thickness reaches 2 cm, then blows with the front flippers are used, and at 3-6 cm, sharp, strong claws are used. This activity takes a lot of time and effort, since the thickness of the ice on Lake Baikal ranges from 60 to 150 cm, and in the bays it reaches 2 m.

In some places of the lake, severe frosts cause the formation of cracks in the ice 10-30 km long and 2-3 m wide, which attract Baikal seals and many fish, which serve as their main source of food.

From March to May aquatic mammals rush from south to north along with the beginning of ice drift. During this period, all individuals, starting from one year of age, are selected for hard surface and shed. Molting most often occurs directly on the ice, less often on coastal stones, and is widespread.

In summer and autumn, individual individuals molt individually or in small groups.

Nutrition

Young animals do not have the ability to dive deeply, so up to 3 years of age they feed near the shore. The basis of their diet consists of bottom gobies (Cottoidei) and yellowwings (Cottocomephoridae). The menu of adult specimens is dominated by pelagic crustaceans and small golomyanka (Comephorus dybowski).

These fish, about 14 cm long, live at depths from 130 to 1700 m and are distinguished by a large amount of fat, reaching 30% of the total weight. In the menu of the Baikal seal they occupy more than 60% of all food eaten. She eats 2.5-3 kg of food per day.

Predator most It gets food at a depth of 10-50 m, sometimes dives to a maximum of 300 m. Staying under water lasts 2-4 minutes, in extreme cases up to 40 minutes.

An adult seal eats up to 1 ton of fish per year. Omul comes into the seal's food accidentally and in very small quantities, no more than 1 - 2% of the daily diet. Omul, like grayling and whitefish, is an energetic and fast fish; the seal simply cannot catch up with it.

Reproduction of the Baikal seal

Baikal seals become sexually mature at the age of 3-4 years, their first offspring appear at 4-7 years. Puberty in males occurs 1-2 years later than in females. The duration of pregnancy is 11 months.

During her life, the female gives birth to about two dozen babies, giving birth on average until she is 40 years old. Childbirth occurs every year.

Baikal seal cubs are born in a prepared snow den in February-March. This snow chamber is connected to the water by a special hole. A female has 1-2 babies in a litter, their weight is up to 4 kg. Baby seals are white in color, for this reason they are often called squirrels. For the first 4-6 weeks of life, the seal remains in the den and feeds only on its mother’s milk. At this time, he does not go outside and does not dive under water. Before the den is destroyed, the baby is completely moulted. The mother always takes care of the offspring, which she leaves only to go for food. When the female is inside the den, the temperature in it reaches +5 °C, and frosts outside at this time range from minus 15 to minus 20 °C. Males do not take any part in raising offspring.

Lactation in seals lasts 2-2.5 months. If the ice cover does not disappear, it may continue longer. After switching to independent feeding, the babies molt, their fur becomes silver-gray at 2-3 months, and later turns brown-brown.

Wintering

The seal winters on the ice in lairs under the snow on hummocky areas of Lake Baikal, often in pressure areas - piles of ice floes forming canopies. As ice forms on the surface of the lake, the animal creates a main air duct with a diameter of 1-2 m, maintaining it in this state, removing ice.

When the lake is covered with ice, the seal can breathe only through spare vents, which it makes by raking the ice from below with the claws of its forelimbs. Around her lair there are up to a dozen or more auxiliary vents, spaced from the main one by tens and even hundreds of meters. The vents are usually round in shape, 10-15 cm in size, sufficient to stick your nose above the water. The vents widen significantly downwards, having the shape of an overturned funnel.

Interestingly, the ability to make perfume is an innate instinct. In the experimental aquarium, for the seal to rest, a small floating platform made of 5-centimeter foam plastic was installed on the water surface, and the rest of the aquarium was open water. Young seals, one month and two months old, made holes in the foam, raking it with their claws from below, stuck out their noses and breathed into the vents, although there was open water nearby. Having become “saturated” with air, they went under the water again. It should be noted that the seals were caught at a week or two weeks of age, when they were still feeding on their mother’s milk. I had to feed them with condensed milk through a nipple from a bottle, like children. They had not yet swum in water and were afraid of water. And when they grew up, they showed what they were capable of.

According to observations, the seal sleeps in the water, as it is immobilized for quite a long time. Sleep probably continues as long as there is enough oxygen in the blood. While the seal was sleeping, scuba divers swam close to it, touched it and even turned it over, but the animal continued to sleep

It is unknown how the seal ended up in Baikal. Some researchers believe that it penetrated into it during the Ice Age from the Arctic Ocean through the Yenisei-Angara river system simultaneously with the Baikal omul. Others believe that the entire family of true seals (Caspian, Baikal and ringed seals) initially appeared in large freshwater bodies of Eurasia and only then settled into the Caspian Sea, the Arctic Ocean and Lake Baikal. However, this mystery has not yet been solved.

The Baikal seal can accelerate underwater to a speed of 25 kilometers per hour. She is an unrivaled swimmer and can easily outrun danger at such speed.

The seal dives to a depth of 200 meters and remains under water for 20-25 minutes.

A seal can stop a pregnancy: no other animal on Earth can do this. In some cases, the embryo stops developing, but does not die or be destroyed, but simply falls into suspended animation, which lasts until the next mating season. And then the seal gives birth to two cubs at once.

Pregnancy of seals lasts 11 months. Females whelp in March-April. The fur of seals is white, which is why they are called squirrels. This coloring allows them to remain almost invisible in the snow in the first weeks of life. With the transition to independent feeding on fish, the cubs molt, the fur gradually acquires a silver-gray color in two-three-month-olds, and in older and adult individuals it becomes brownish-brown.

The fat content of Baikal seal milk is 60%. The nutritional properties of milk help seals gain weight quickly.

Seals build their winter homes from under the ice. They swim to a suitable place, make holes - vents, scraping the ice with the claws of their forelimbs. As a result, their house is covered from the surface with a protective snow cap.

The Baikal seal is a very cautious, but inquisitive and intelligent animal. If she sees that there is not enough space in the rookery, then she begins to deliberately splash her flippers on the water, imitating the splash of oars, in order to scare away her relatives and settle down in the vacant place.

Seals live 55-56 years. Adult animals reach 1.6-1.7 meters in length and 150 kilograms in weight. Sexual maturity occurs in the fourth to sixth year of life. Females are able to bear fruit up to 40-45 years.

Population and species status

The Limnological Siberian Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences uses different methods for counting the population, for example, by inspecting the territories of Lake Baikal from air transport or aerial photography. By the early 2000s, about 60 thousand pinnipeds lived on Baikal. According to estimates, the number of seals is now 115 thousand. The increase in the number of animals became possible after restrictions on hunting and as a result of the fight against poachers. But there is still illegal hunting for seals that have undergone their first moult.

The Baikal seal is not listed in the main section of the Red Book, but according to its status, it requires attention to their numbers and living in nature. Since 2007, hunting them has been prohibited. The exception is local peoples, belonging to the small representatives of the Far North. In 2018, the ban on seal fishing was extended.

Interesting fact: To observe the life of the Baikal seal, you can visit nerpintariums in Irkutsk, Listvyanka and the village. MRS near the Small Sea. The stable state of the seal population is associated with many features of the nature of its life, which are responsible for survival in cold climates and deep-sea environments.

These factors include:

arrangement of lairs;
construction of vents;
long lactation;
rapid growth of squirrels;
good diving and breath-holding abilities.

This pinniped is quite flexible and can adapt to changes in freeze-up conditions, regulate its food ration, and withstand disease outbreaks relatively easily.

The Baikal seal is a significant link in the biotic chain of the animal world of Lake Baikal. It regulates the dynamics of reproduction different types fish The pinniped's diet includes big number pelagic fish, which are not commercial, but compete for food base at valuable species: omul, whitefish, grayling, lenka. Maintaining the cleanliness of the waters of Lake Baikal depends on a mustachioed crustacean, the epishura, which allows liquid to pass through itself. It is eaten by golomyankas and gobies - the main food of the Baikal seal. Thus, the number of epishura, and therefore the purity of the lake’s waters, is maintained in natural balance.

May 25 marks the regional children's and youth ecological holiday- day of the seal. It was first held in 2003 in Irkutsk.

The holiday very quickly became popular in many regions of Russia, including the Irkutsk region, the Republic of Buryatia and other regions of Siberia, and is included in the calendar of environmental dates. We have collected 10 unique facts about this rare mammal.

The Baikal seal is one of three species of freshwater seals found nowhere else except this lake. The main rookery of the seal is located on the Ushkany Islands, where you can find a lot of food and there are practically no people who pose the main threat to these animals.

What is interesting and unique about the Baikal seal?

1. The seal is the only mammal of Lake Baikal. According to morphological and biological characteristics, the Baikal seal is close to the ringed seal, which lives in the seas of the Far North and Far East. There are also some signs of similarity between the seal and the Caspian seal.

2. It is unknown how the seal ended up in Baikal. Some researchers believe that it penetrated into it during the Ice Age from the Arctic Ocean through the Yenisei-Angara river system simultaneously with the Baikal omul. Others believe that the entire family of true seals (Caspian, Baikal and ringed seals) initially appeared in large freshwater bodies of Eurasia and only then settled into the Caspian Sea, the Arctic Ocean and Lake Baikal. However, this mystery has not yet been solved.

3. The Baikal seal can accelerate underwater to a speed of 25 kilometers per hour. She is an unrivaled swimmer and can easily outrun danger at such speed.

4. The seal dives to a depth of 200 meters and remains under water for 20-25 minutes.

5. A seal can stop a pregnancy: no other animal on Earth can do this. In some cases, the embryo stops developing, but does not die or be destroyed, but simply falls into suspended animation, which lasts until the next mating season. And then the seal gives birth to two cubs at once.

6. Pregnancy of seals lasts 11 months. Females whelp in March-April. The fur of seals is white, which is why they are called squirrels. This coloring allows them to remain almost invisible in the snow in the first weeks of life. With the transition to independent feeding on fish, the cubs molt, the fur gradually acquires a silver-gray color in two-three-month-olds, and in older and adult individuals it becomes brownish-brown.

7. The fat content of Baikal seal milk is 60%. The nutritional properties of milk help seals gain weight quickly.

8. Seals build their winter homes from under the ice. They swim to a suitable place, make holes - vents, scraping the ice with the claws of their forelimbs. As a result, their house is covered from the surface with a protective snow cap.

9. The Baikal seal is a very cautious, but inquisitive and intelligent animal. If she sees that there is not enough space in the rookery, then she begins to deliberately splash her flippers on the water, imitating the splash of oars, in order to scare away her relatives and settle down in the vacant place.

10. Seals live 55-56 years. Adult animals reach 1.6-1.7 meters in length and 150 kilograms in weight. Sexual maturity occurs in the fourth to sixth year of life. Females are able to bear fruit up to 40-45 years.

From whom should the Baikal seal be protected?

Huge losses of the Baikal seal were recorded in 1996, mainly due to licensed and poaching hunting, as well as chemical pollution of the lake.

“Today, the approximate number of Baikal seals ranges from 75 to 100 thousand heads. This is quite a lot, but there is no fishing now,” said Mikhail Kreindlin, a Greenpeace expert on specially protected natural areas.

Formally, the Baikal seal is still commercial species and is not listed in the Red Book, but hunting for it was banned in 1980. Until 2009, a quota for industrial catching of 50 animals was issued. Since the end of 2014, the quota has been issued only to research institutes.

“Currently, a decline in the number of seals has not been recorded, but the condition of Lake Baikal cannot but affect its inhabitants. For example, a recent drop in water level has led to the drying out of the spawning grounds of fish - the main food for seals. There are also threats that have not yet been realized, for example, the construction of the Shuren hydroelectric station on the Selenga River - largest tributary lakes, which can also lead to severe shallowing and will indirectly threaten the seal too,” noted Mikhail Kreindlin.

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