International Seal Day – 22nd March
International Seal Day – 22nd March
International Day of the Seal takes place on March 22. It is a day set aside to raise awareness about seal conservation around the world.
Seals belong to the suborderPinnipedia, order Carnivora.Pinnipeds commonly known as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. They comprise the extant families Odobenidae (whose only living member is the walrus), Otariidae (the eared seals: sea lions and fur seals), and Phocidae (the earless seals, or true seals).
Seals range in size from the 1 m and 45 kg Baikal seal to the 5 m (16 ft) and 3,200 kg southern elephant seal male, which is also the largest member of the order Carnivora. Several species exhibit sexual dimorphism. They have streamlined bodies and four limbs that are modified into flippers. Though not as fast in the water as dolphins, seals are more flexible and agile. Otariids use their front limbs primarily to propel themselves through the water, while phocids use their hind limbs. Otariids have hind limbs that can be pulled under the body and used as legs on land. Otariids have visible external ears, while phocids lack these. Pinnipeds have well-developed senses—their eyesight and hearing are adapted for both air and water, and they have an advanced tactile system in their whiskers or vibrissae. Some species are well adapted for diving to great depths. They have a layer of fat, or blubber, under the skin to keep warm in the cold water, all species are covered in fur.
Seals mainly live in marine environments but can also be found in freshwater.Living pinnipeds mainly inhabit polar and subpolar regions, particularly the North Atlantic, the North Pacific and the Southern Ocean. They are entirely absent from Indomalayan waters. Monk seals and some otariids live in tropical and subtropical waters. Seals usually require cool, nutrient-rich waters with temperatures lower than 20 °C. Even those that live in warm or tropical climates live in areas that become cold and nutrient rich due to current patterns. Only monk seals live in waters that are not typically cool or rich in nutrients. The Caspian seal and Baikal seal are found in large landlocked bodies of water (the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal respectively).
Seals are carnivorous and their diet includes mainly fish. They also eat penguins, octopuses, lobsters, salmons, eels, mackerel, and squids etc.
Human greed has led to the decline of many seal populations. In the past, millions of seals were killed for their valuable meat, blubber, and pelts. In some countries seals are still killed in large numbers because fishermen blame them for the decline in fish.
– Source: Internet –