Nerpa - what kind of animal is this? Vertebrates of Baikal. Baikal seal What is the name of the Baikal seal

On May 25, a regional children's and youth ecological holiday is celebrated - the 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 ecological dates. We have collected 10 unique facts about this rare mammal.

The Baikal seal is one of three species of freshwater seal found nowhere else but this lake. The main seal rookery 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.

Why is the Baikal seal interesting and unique?

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

2. It is not known 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) originally appeared in large freshwater reservoirs of Eurasia and only then settled in the Caspian Sea, the Arctic Ocean and Baikal. However, this mystery has not yet been solved.

3. The Baikal seal can accelerate under water up to a speed of 25 kilometers per hour. She is a consummate swimmer and can easily avoid danger at this speed.

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

5. The seal can suspend pregnancy: no other animal on Earth can do this. In some cases, the embryo stops developing, but does not die and is not 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 puppies in March-April. Fur seals are white, so they are called pups. This coloration allows them to remain almost invisible in the snow in the first weeks of life. With the transition to self-feeding by fish, the cubs molt, the fur gradually acquires a silver-gray color in two or three months old, and in older and adult individuals it becomes brown-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 up to a suitable place, make holes - vents, scraping the ice with the claws of their forelimbs. As a result, their house from the surface is covered 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 on the rookery, then she begins to rhythmically spank with flippers on the water, imitating the splash of oars, in order to frighten her relatives and settle in the vacant place.

10. Seals live 55-56 years. Adult animals reach 1.6-1.7 meters in length and 150 kilograms of weight. Sexual maturity occurs in the fourth or 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 is from 75 to 100 thousand heads. This is quite a lot, but fishing is not being carried out now,” said Mikhail Kreindlin, Greenpeace expert on specially protected natural areas.

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

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

Lake Baikal is famous for its depth, purity of water and beautiful nature around. But he has another attraction. Once unusual seals settled here, and there are no such animals in any other body of water in the world. Therefore, they are called endemic, that is, living in a limited space, in a small habitat.

How seals ended up in Baikal

The way of life of Baikal seals is well studied. But how, from where they got into this body of water, remote from the seas and oceans, remains a mystery to scientists. There are 2 more species of freshwater seals: one of them also lives in Russia, in Ladoga, and the other has mastered Lake Saimaa in Finland. Their appearance there is associated with a change in the northern water spaces during the ice age, and such an explanation is not suitable for Baikal seals.

The seal is endemic to Lake Baikal.

What do seals look like

The Baikal seal is a large and strong animal. It grows in length for almost 19 years and reaches 110-165 cm with a weight of 50-130 kg. The body is similar in shape to a spindle - it expands towards the head and narrows towards the tail, there is no neck. The front flippers have large claws and are more developed than the hind flippers. Between the fingers of the membrane.

In seals of Baikal, the body and flippers are protected by a short, but dense and hard hairline. His the color on the back is brownish-gray with different shades, and on the chest and stomach it is light gray with yellowness. Sometimes the coloration is spotted.

Long and stiff hairs are visible on the upper lip - these are vibrissae. They are very sensitive and serve as a way for seals to navigate on land and in water.

Important abilities of the seal

Baikal seals have no one to be afraid of in the world around them, only human hunters are dangerous for them. Caution, the ability of swimmers and an inconspicuous color help animals escape from death.

This type of seal tolerates harsh climatic conditions well. A thick layer of fat under waterproof wool does not allow hypothermia, it also gives strength and energy in case of shortage of food.

Water is their element.

Baikal seals stay in the water for the winter, under the ice. Animals make breathing holes in it with claws and teeth in advance and then do not allow these holes to freeze until spring.

The seals have well-developed eyesight, hearing and sense of smell, and the dexterity of movement in the water seems incredible. If necessary, they can:

reach speeds up to 25 km / h;
go to a depth of 400 meters;
hold your breath and stay under water for up to 40 minutes.

Hunting and food

The Baikal seal eats 3-5 kg of fish per day, and almost a ton per year. He does not need to compete with a man in the extraction of food, because he hunts only non-commercial representatives of the underwater world. But a seal will not refuse to feast on a valuable breed if it finds itself in the place where it was caught in fishing nets.

Fish is the main delicacy.

Seal mothers and their cubs

Females of the Baikal seal give birth to one cub, two at once - rarely. This happens in March, in the snow holes that mother seals make on the frozen surface of the lake. Newborn seal pups weigh 3-4 kg. They are covered with white fur, which is why they received the nickname white squirrel from the locals. This coloration serves them for camouflage in snowy expanses.

For two months, the babies live with their mothers and feed on milk. Then they get the necessary skills, switch to a fish diet, molt, and the color of their coat gradually changes.

Maternal care.

Protection of the Baikal seal

Baikal seals are well adapted for survival, the age of 50 years is not the limit for them. But still these animals were listed in the Red Book, and at the beginning of the 21st century hunting for them was banned. The right to prey was reserved only for scientists and indigenous people living near the lake.

Now the number of seals exceeds 100 thousand individuals. They explore new areas of Baikal and surprise tourists and local residents with their abundance when they get out on the rocky shores to bask in the sun. And most of them are on the Ushkany Islands, on the territory of the Zabaikalsky nature reserve.

Good to bask in the sun.

At the end of the message - a few more facts from the life of the unique Baikal seals:

They are curious and specially look out of the water to watch the ships.
On land, seals are slow and clumsy, and in case of danger, they try to move in leaps and bounds.
These are the only mammals on Baikal.
Seals sleep in the water so tightly that scuba divers managed to turn them from side to side.
Muscovites and guests of the Russian capital can admire these cute animals in the Moskvarium.

Baikal is the deepest and uniquely beautiful lake in the world. It is there that you can meet unique animals that are not found anywhere else - Baikal, endemics, relics of the tertiary fauna.

Baikal seal belongs to the seal family and forms a separate species. This is the only mammal on Baikal. This wonderful animal was first heard and described during the Bering expedition.

The team included various scientists, including those who were directly involved in the study of the nature of the Baikal region. It was from them that the first detailed seal descriptions.

The pinniped animal on Baikal is a rather unique phenomenon. After all, it is customary to think that seals are the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic and Antarctic. How it happened that these animals ended up in Eastern Siberia is still a mystery to everyone.

In the photo, the Baikal seal

But the fact remains, and this phenomenon makes Lake Baikal even more mysterious and unusual. On the photo of Baikal seal you can watch endlessly. Her impressive size and some kind of childish expression of the muzzle seem slightly incompatible.

Features and habitat of the Baikal seal

This is a rather large animal, almost with a human height of 1.65 cm, and weighing from 50 to 130 kg. The animal is everywhere covered with thick and hard hair. It is not only on the eyes and nostrils. It is even on the flippers of the animal. seal fur mostly gray or gray-brown in color with a beautiful silvery sheen. Most often, the lower part of her torso is lighter than the upper.

seal animal swims without problems thanks to webbed fingers. Strong claws are clearly visible on the front paws. On the hind legs they are slightly smaller. The neck of the seal is practically absent.

Females are always slightly larger than males. The seal has a third eyelid in front of its eyes. After a long stay in the air, her eyes begin to water involuntarily. There is simply a huge amount of fat deposits in the body of an animal.

The fat layer of the seal is about 10-15 cm. The least fat is located 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 seals to survive difficult periods of lack of food. Subcutaneous Baikal seal fat helps her to lie on the surface of the water for a long time.

The Baikal seal has a very deep sleep

In this position, she can even sleep. Their sleep is very strong. There were cases when scuba divers turned these sleeping animals over, and they did not even wake up at the same time. Baikal seal seal lives exclusively on Lake Baikal.

True, there are exceptions and seals end up in the Angara. In the winter season, they spend almost all their time in the underwater kingdom of the lake and only in rare cases can appear on its surface.

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

Baikal seal underwater

The end of the winter period for this pinnipeds animal is characterized by access to the ice. In the first summer month there is a huge accumulation of these animals in the area of the coast of the Ushkany Islands.

It is there that 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.

The nature and lifestyle of the Baikal seal

An interesting thing about the seal is that while it is under water, its nostrils and holes in the ears are closed with a special valve. When the animal emerges and exhales air, pressure occurs and the valves open.

The animal has excellent hearing, perfect vision and an excellent sense of smell. The speed of movement of the seal in the water reaches approximately 25 km / h. After the ice breaks on Baikal, and this falls on the months of March-May, the seal begins to molt. At this time, the animal is starving and does not need water. The seal does not eat anything at this time, it has enough fat reserves for life.

This is a very energetic, curious, but at the same time cautious animal. It can watch a person from the water for a long time, plunging into it completely and leaving only his head on the surface. As soon as the seal realizes that it has been seen from its observation post, it immediately, without the slightest splashes and unnecessary noises, quietly plunges under the water.

This animal is easy to train. They become literally the favorites of the public. There is not one show of Baikal seals, which is enjoyed by both adults and children.

Baikal seals participants of the show

The Baikal seal has no enemies other than humans. In the last century, people were engaged in the extraction of seals very intensively. It was on a colossal industrial scale. Literally everything that this animal consists of has been used. The fat of the seal was filled with special lamps in the mines, the meat was eaten, and the taiga hunters especially valued the skin.

It was used to make high-quality and high-speed skis. Such skis differed from ordinary ones in that they could never go back on any steep slope. It got to the point that the animal became smaller and smaller. Therefore, in 1980, a unanimous decision was made to save him, and Baikal seal was listed in Red book.

In the photo, a cub of the Baikal seal

Nutrition of the Baikal seal

The favorite food of seals are golovyankas and Baikal gobies. In a year, this animal can eat more than a ton of such food. Rarely, omul can be found in their diet. This fish makes up 1-2% of the animal's daily food. There are groundless rumors that seals are destroying entire populations of the Baikal omul. Actually it is not. He comes across from the seal in food, but extremely rarely.

Reproduction and life expectancy of the Baikal seal

The end of the winter period in the Baikal seal is associated with the childbearing process. Their puberty occurs at the age of four. The female's pregnancy lasts 11 months. She crawls out onto the ice in order to give birth to babies. It is during this period that the seal is most threatened by the danger from hunters and poachers.

Baikal seal cubs are born white, which is why they are often called "whites"

In order to somehow protect themselves from these potential enemies and from severe spring weather conditions, seals build special dens. This dwelling is connected to water so that the female can protect herself at any moment and protect her offspring from possible danger.

Somewhere in the middle of March, a baby of the Baikal seal is born. Most often, the female has one, rarely two and even less often three. The weight of a small one is about 4 kg. Approximately 3-4 months the baby eats mother's milk.

He is dressed in a beautiful snow-white fur coat, thanks to which they are perfectly disguised in snowdrifts. Some time passes and after molting, the babies acquire their natural gray shade of fur with silver, characteristic of their species. Fathers in their upbringing do not take any part.

The growth of seals takes a very long time. They grow up to 20 years. It happens that some individuals, not growing to their normal size, die. After all, the average life expectancy of the Baikal seal is about 8-9 years.

Although scientists have noticed that this animal can live for a long time - up to 60 years. But for many reasons and due to some external factors, there are very few such centenarians among seals, one can say a few. More than half of all these animals are seals of the younger generation at the age of 5 years. The age of seals can be easily determined by their fangs and claws.

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 the Baikal seal came from a common ancestor with the northern ringed seal. At the same time, the parental 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 Pinnipedia (Pinnipedia) of the Mammalia class.

General appearance and morphophysiological characteristics. Large aquatic mammal. The body length of sexually mature animals is 120–140 cm, and their weight can reach 80–90 kg. A newborn seal has a mass of about 3.0 kg. The color of the hairline 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 (for the first time molted individuals from 1 month to 1 year) are silver-gray. Belki (animals under the age of 1 month) are yellowish-white. Frequent planting of teeth with an increased number of accessory vertices is associated with the consumption of small fish. Enlarged eyeballs are an adaptation for feeding in low light conditions and at dusk. The powerful claw apparatus of the front flippers is designed to make and maintain breathing vents in solid ice from freezing. Elevated concentrations of hemoglobin in the blood are associated with deep-sea diving in search of food for a long time with the breath turned off. The maximum diving depth is 300 m. The maximum speed in water is 20–25 km/h. The maximum duration of stay under water is 65 minutes.

Distribution and migrations. 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 taking place in the Baikal ecosystem.

In the process of evolution, the Baikal seal has 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 the land (however, the seal retained the need for a solid substrate (ice) for the breeding season). In the summer, animals gather on coastal rookeries at a distance from human settlements. The well-being of the population of the Baikal seal is largely due to the formation of a reproductive strategy (lair arrangement, lactation energy features, rapid maturation, the development of "diving" abilities of puppies, etc.), which ensures high survival of offspring in cold and deep water conditions.

Currently, the seal population is in a state of dynamic equilibrium with the main food objects, and the ichthyoproduction of the pelagic zone of the lake. Baikal can provide a population of about 100 thousand individuals. The Baikal seal is characterized by high plasticity and resistance to biotic and abiotic factors. It is noted that the seal is a plastic animal that adapts to changes in the ice regime, the abundance of food supply and relatively safely endures epizootics. According to E. A. Petrov, at the end of the twentieth century, the number of female seals was 47,600 specimens, males - 28,200 specimens. In 2002, the number of the entire population with offspring was 99 thousand individuals. In modern conditions, for the rational use of the resources of the Baikal seal population by humans, constant monitoring of the population and health of the Baikal seal is required. This will help preserve the seal and thus 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: Publishing house Irk. state un-ta, 2009. S. 202-204.

EA Petrov 2 analyzed the literature data on the origin of the Baikal seal Phoca sibirica. According to the 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 in North Asia. The divergence time of the Baikal seal from the common stem of Phoca is 18.4 Ma 3 . Analysis of the amino acid composition of myoglobin by molecular diagnostic methods showed a close relationship between the seal, spotted seal (Phoca vitulina), and 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 probable time for the seals to enter Baikal is the Pleistocene (i.e., the last 2 million years). Due to cold weather, seals were forced out from the north to the Great Siberian Lakes and then settled in Baikal, the Caspian Sea, lakes and rivers of Western Europe. Later, seals entered the Baltic and North Seas. The specified 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 one than to the Caspian one. 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 the common ancestral trunk about 640 thousand years ago, while 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 the northern seas about 2 million years ago, and possibly even later. And the insignificant variability of the mitochondrial DNA genome of the Baikal seal, apparently, indicates a slight genetic heterogeneity of its population and 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: Publishing house Irk. state un-ta, 2009. S. 222-223.

Nerpa in questions and answers

605. Are there mammals in Baikal?

The only representative of mammals is a seal, or seal (Pusasibiricagmel.). According to the classification, the Baikal seal belongs to the family of true seals (Phocidae), genus Pusa. Researchers (in particular, K.K. Chapsky, a well-known specialist in pinnipeds in the USSR and abroad) believe that the Baikal seal descended from a common ancestor with the northern ringed seal. At the same time, the parental 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. Assume what it penetrated from the Arctic Ocean along the Yenisei and during the ice age, when the rivers were dammed by ice advancing from the north. Other scientists do not rule out the possibility of its penetration along the Lena, which is supposed to have had a runoff from 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 half ofXVIIcentury. A scientific description was first made during the work of the 2nd Kamchatka, or the Great Northern Expedition, led by V. Bering. As part of this expedition, a detachment worked on Baikal under the leadership of I. G. Gmelin, who studied the nature of the lake and its environs in many ways and described the seal.

608. Did the seal live in the Baunt lakes?

According to the legend of local residents, seals quite recently (one or two centuries ago) met in the Baunt lakes (the Baunt 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 Baunt Lakes from Baikal and that these lakes were allegedly connected with it.

However, reliable data confirming this or that version has not yet been received.

609. How many seals are there in Baikal?

According to the staff of the Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, there are currently about 60 thousand heads. Counting is carried out in different ways. The fastest, but less reliable - visually from an aircraft that flies along a specific route grid. The census takers look out the window and mark each observed lair or take aerial photographs of the routes and count the lairs along them. And then they are already recalculated from a unit area to the entire water area of the lake.

The second method is laying around Baikal about 100 accounting sites 1.5X1.5 km each. They go around on a motorcycle or go around on foot 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 accountants makes routes across Lake Baikal at a certain distance from each other, sufficient to see from the motorcycle all the dens encountered. In recent years, the most accurate (maximum statistical error ± 10%) areal registration of seals has been used.

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

The largest age of the seals in Baikal, determined by V. D. Pastukhov, an employee of the Limnological Institute, is 56 years for females and 52 years for males.

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

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

612. How many babies do a seal give birth to in a lifetime?

During her life, the female can probably bring up to two dozen or more cubs, given that she is capable of bringing offspring up to the age of 40. Females usually mate annually. However, annually up to 10-20% of females remain barren for various reasons.

613. When does a seal give birth to cubs?

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

614. How do cubs differ from adults?

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

615. What is hubun (hubunok), kumatkan?

A young seal cub is called a hubunk (Buryat hubun - a baby of a wild animal). For the first time, a molted animal is called a kumatkan. St. John's slaughter goes mainly on kumatkans.

616. What size does a seal reach in Baikal?

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

617. With what speed does a seal swim?

The maximum speed is 20-25 km/h. But that's how fast she swims when she's out of danger. In a calm environment, it swims much more slowly - probably 10-15 km / h.

618. To what depths can a seal dive?

According to the fishermen, the seal fell into the nets at a depth of up to 200 m, but, as a rule, it dives 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 a depth?

If the seal is able to dive 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 underwater, so the saturation of tissues, including blood, with gases remains the same as atmospheric pressure. There is no excessive saturation with nitrogen, although the seal can undergo a change in pressure from 1 to 10-15 atm in half an hour. and more.

Divers during a short stay under water also do not develop decompression sickness, although, as is known, the record dive without apparatus is 100 m or more. Probably, for the same reason, whales (sperm whales) do not suffer from caisson disease, which are able to dive to a depth of 1200 m, while maintaining a pressure of 121 atm.

621. Do seals sleep in water?

According to observations, the seal sleeps in the water, as it is immobilized for quite a long time, probably as long as there is enough oxygen in the blood. During the sleep of the seal, 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 was there for up to 65 minutes (a record duration). In nature, she is under water for up to 20-25 minutes - this is enough for her to get food or escape from danger.

623. Where does the seal winter?

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

624. What are puffs?

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

The airways are usually round in shape. The size of the auxiliary vents is 10-15 cm (sufficient to stick your nose above the surface of the water), and the main vent is up to 40-50 cm. From the bottom, the vents have the shape of an inverted funnel - they expand significantly downward. Interestingly, the ability to make produkh is an innate instinct. In the experimental aquarium for the rest of the seal on the water surface, a small platform of five-centimeter foam plastic was installed, and the rest of the aquarium with open water. Young seals of a month and two months old made holes in the foam, raking it with their claws from below, put their nose out and breathed into the air, although there was open water nearby. "Saturated" with air, they again went under the water. It should be noted that 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 did not yet swim in the water and were afraid of the water. But when they grew up, they showed what they are capable of.

625. How does a seal get food in winter?

Dives into the main vent in the lair. In search of food, she can retire a considerable distance. If it lacks oxygen during foraging, it uses additional air outlets.

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

Under experimental conditions (in an aquarium), the daily diet of seals was from 3 to 5 kg of fish. For a year, an adult seal eats up to 1 ton of fish. The main food of the seal is golomyanka-goby fish. the seal is caught accidentally and in very small quantities, no more than 1-2% of the daily diet. Omul, like grayling and whitefish, is a very energetic and fast-moving fish, and the seal simply cannot catch up with it. And those individuals that come across are probably weakened, and their selection only improves the population, maintaining its "sports" form.

627. How and when are seals hunted?

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 along with the newborn offspring. Hunting begins in April and continues during the spring ice drift, when you can sail on ships or boats among the ice floes, on which the haulouts are arranged. In addition to shooting, net fishing has been increasingly used in recent years. Special nets are installed under the ice near the main vents, and when the seal returns “home”, it gets into them. Catching with the help of 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 many seals produce per year?

During the previous decade, fishing artels annually harvested up to 2.5 thousand heads. Only in the last 3 years, the extraction of 5-6 thousand heads was 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 the meat and especially the fat of seals to be curative. The sealers - the miners of the seal - and the Buryats consider the fresh, still warm liver of the seal a delicacy and eat it with great pleasure. Especially tender meat in young seals - Hubunks. In taste and tenderness, it resembles chickens. If the meat of adult seals retains the smell of fish even after heat treatment, then the meat of hubunks is almost devoid of any foreign odors. The meat and fat of the seal is used in the treatment of pulmonary diseases (tuberculosis), peptic ulcers of internal organs, primarily the stomach, etc. The liver of the seal contains many vitamins.

630. How is the skin of the seal used?

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

The most running, beautiful, durable and expensive fur of three-four-month-old seals. The color of their fur is silver-gray, it is quite highly filtered at international fur auctions and is a currency fund. The skins of cubs up to two or three weeks of age have white, soft, fluffy fur, it lends itself to coloring.