Australian fur seals
- Australian fur seal
Of all the fur seals, the Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) is the largest one. It can weigh up to 200 to 300kg. It has a pointed snout and the whiskers are sweeping backwards. The males are larger than the females and they have a mane of dark coarse hair when they're mature. Australian fur seals can move around on land on their flippers by raising their bodies.
Habitat
The Australian fur seal is mostly seen in Tasmania and Victoria, but you can spot them occasionally in southern New South Wales and on island off South Australia as well. They prefer rocky islands, beaches with boulders and pebbles as their habitat for breeding.The seals are protected in Australia, but their numbers are still only half of what it used to be before seals were hunted. They are still vulnerable and often suffer from conflicts with commercial fishing.
They feed on a variety of fish and can dive to depths of 120 meters. They may dive even deeper, but the current record stands at 120 meters.
Breeding
- Australian fur seal pup
Australian fur seals breed every year. Th adult males mark their territories. After that's done the females come ashore. The females gather within these male territories and are defended by the males. This happens whit quite some aggression to females and other males. After the females are fertilized, they head back to sea and spend most of the time there. The gestation period is around 51 weeks. The females come ashore shortly before the pup is born which happens between October and December. Generally they mate again 6 to 10 days after the birth of their pup. The pups are very vulnerable in the first two months of their lives. Especially when their mum goes back to sea for foraging. The pups are weaned until they're four to six months old, but often stay with their mum for sox more months.
