The northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus ) is an eared seal found along the north Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk. It is the largest member of the fur seal subfamily (Arctocephalinae) and the only living species in the genus Callorhinus. A single fossil species, Callorhinus gilmorei, is known from the Pliocene of Japan and western North America.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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MolluscivoreA molluscivore is a carnivorous animal that specializes in feeding on molluscs such as gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Known mo...
Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withNorthern fur seals are known for their thick fur, which gives them their name. There are about 300,000 hairs on each square inch of their bodies. Adult males grow short, bushy manes with lighter-colored fur around their neck and shoulders, occasionally seen on females. The color of their fur shows their gender, age, and activities. Females and young males at sea typically have gray coats. On land, while breeding, the fur tends to become yellowish-brown due to the mud and excrement found on the rocks. Males usually have a brownish-black in color when they are older, but this could be reddish-brown or dark gray. Pups are black, the color changing to dark brown, with a lighter color on the belly and chest.
Northern fur seals inhabit the Northern Pacific Ocean from southern California to Japan and as far as the Bering Sea. They spend much of their time at sea, usually coming to land just for the summer breeding season, males spending only about 45 days each year on land, and females about 35 days.
Northern fur seals are nocturnal animals. They are generally solitary and usually spend their time singly or in pairs, especially during the feeding months of winter. Males show some aggressive territorial behavior towards other males when their territory is entered. Females do not develop any social bond with any other seals. A characteristic of these seals is returning to where they were born (called "philopatry"), males returning to stake out territory, and females to give birth.
These seals are carnivores (piscivores) primarily feeding on pelagic fish and squid depending on local availability.
These seals are polygynous and in one season a male can mate with as many as 50 females. Females come to shore in late June for a month. The males will have already staked out territories. Females usually give birth to just one pup each season, after a gestation of 51 weeks. A few days after giving birth, the female goes to sea for 8 - 14 days to feed, then returning to nurse her pup, who must consume enough milk to last for these absences. Pups are weaned when about 4 months old, at which time their mothers leave to migrate south for winter. Females are sexually mature between 4 and 6 years, males between 8 and 10.
Historically, humans are the main threat to this seal. They have been hunted mainly for their pelts. Commercial hunting continued till 1984. Alaska native people are still allowed to hunt for this seal and at least 200-500 seals are taken every year. Other threats are bycatch in fishing gear, entanglement in marine debris, disturbance from vessels, habitat loss and climate change, the availability of prey, and environmental pollutants.
According to IUCN, as of 2014, the Northern fur seal population has been estimated at 1 - 1.3 million, the majority breeding on the Pribilof Islands located in the southern Bering Sea. The Commander Islands is the second largest breeding site for the northern fur seal, where about 225,000 go to breed. Smaller sites include Tyuleniy Island in the Okhotsk Sea (55,000 - 65,000 seals), the central Kuril Islands (50,000 - 55,000), Bogoslof Island in the Aleutian Islands (5,000), and San Miguel Island off southern California (4,300). The ICUN classifies the Northern fur seal as "Vulnerable", their population is decreasing now.
Northern fur seals are predators of schooled fish and squid and are an important food source for several larger marine species.
