5450 x 3267 px | 46,1 x 27,7 cm | 18,2 x 10,9 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
2009
Altre informazioni:
Ringed seals occur throughout the Arctic Ocean. They can be found in the Baltic Sea, the Bering Sea and the Hudson Bay. They prefer to rest on ice floe and will move farther north for denser ice. Some subspecies can be found in freshwater. The seal's natural predators are orcas, polar bears, wolves and wolverines; in fact, the Ringed Seal is a preferred and important subsistence food for the threatened polar bear.In addition to threats to the Ringed Seal from predators, icepacks have begun breaking up earlier than in the past due to global warming . Birthing lairs are often destroyed before the seal pup is able to forage on its own leading to poor body condition.In the summer ringed seals feed along edge of the sea-ice for polar cod. In shallow water they feed on smaller cod. Ringed seals may also eat herring, smelt, whitefish, sculpin, perch, and crustaceans. Mating starts in between August and September (High Arctic). Males will roam the ice for a mate. When found, the male and female may spend several days together before mating. Then the male looks for another mate. Image obtained from 19th century plate from Brehms Tierleben
