CP115+Hawaiian+Monk+Seal

__Hawaiian Monk Seal__ __By CP115__

Facts: 9 Fake Facts



Habitat: Hawaiian Monk Seals can be found in the Northwest Islands of Hawaii near the uninhabited or remote islands as humans forced them out of the more desirable locations. They are one of the only two mammals native to Hawaii and is one of three marine mammals found solely in the United States's waters. While Hawaiian Monk Seals spend a lot of their time in the water, they do have "homes" which is like a territory on the island that they come to every week to relax. They go to their territory on other occasions, such as to give birth. Hawaiian Monk Seals are not the only seals that live solely in warm water as the Caribbean Monk Seal and the Mediterranean Monk Seal both are native to warmer water, even though the Caribbean Monk Seal is extinct today.

Name: Hawaiians gave them the name llio holo l ka uaua, which means dog that runs through rough water. They were given this name because to some they might remind them of a dog, which happens to be a somewhat close relative to the Hawaiian Monk Seal. The name monk part of the name Hawaiian Monk Seal came from their folds of skin that look like a monk cowl. 

Diet: Hawaiian Monk Seals are carnivores who eat fish, spiny lobsters, octopuses and eels as well as mantis shrimp. The seals usually forage at depths of around 100 meters but reportedly have dove to depths of as much as 500 to 900 meters below the surface. In order to reach these great depths, they slow their heart rates down to 8 times slower than usual, which is called bradycardia. Bradycardia reduces the need for oxygen so that the seals can go down further and longer than humans may.

Physical: Unlike other species, the females are larger than the males. On average, females are about .2 meters larger than males and weigh about 35 more pounds than the 170 pound males. Due to the warmer temperatures near the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Monk Seals have a lower fat content than their colder water counterparts. Hawaiian Monk Seals molt biannually, which is when the animals casts off things such as fur that it doesn't need at that time. Hawaiian Monk Seals molt in spring and fall like dog do, known as shedding. Some Hawaiian Monk Seals have a green or red tinge to their coat due to eating mantis shrimp which are very colorful and can cause a reaction that causes the seal to develop a harmless tint to its coat reminiscent of the reds and greens on the mantis shrimp. When Hawaiian Monk Seals are born, they are born with a black lanugo which is a fur coat found on infant seals. Mothers can have up to two pups at a time. From when the baby pup, or pups, are born until they finishes nursing, the mother doesn't eat to lose the excess 175 pounds which is a third of her body weight. 

Population: Only about 1100 Hawaiian Monk Seals are still around in the wild. The species is on the endangered species list and is constantly at risk for entanglement which can hurt the population. The names of the groups that Hawaiian Monk Seals live in are colonies and rookeries. The NMFS, or the National Marine Fisheries Service, watches the population and makes sure that they are safe. They place flipper tags on some to keep track of them. The population is declining at rates of 7 to 15 percent per year due to many problems. One of the reasons that the population is restricted is that tiger sharks hunt the young pups, other sharks prey on the seals, lack of resources for juvenile or independent seals not living in colonies. These seals were also heavily hunted in the 1800's for meat, hides and oil. The average age is <range type="comment" id="508884380_3">15 to 25</range id="508884380_3"> years in the wild.

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Links:

Information:
 * 1) National Geographic
 * 2) Arkive.org
 * 3) National Wildlife Foundation

Pictures: > @http://tinyurl.com/kvqocpo > @http://tinyurl.com/knfow6a
 * 1) @http://tinyurl.com/lp5mw4l
 * 1) @http://tinyurl.com/ljy9tvk

Videos:
 * 1) KITV4 On Youtube
 * 2) United States Coast Guard On Youtube