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The harp seal, scientifically designated as *Pagophilus groenlandicus*, is also commonly referred to as the saddleback seal.
Answer: True
The species *Pagophilus groenlandicus* is indeed commonly known by names such as harp seal and saddleback seal, reflecting its distinct characteristics and habitat.
Harp seals were originally classified under the genus *Pagophilus* before being moved to *Phoca* in 1844.
Answer: False
The initial classification of the harp seal was within the genus *Phoca*. The species was subsequently reclassified into the genus *Pagophilus* in 1844.
The scientific name *Pagophilus groenlandicus* translates to 'ice-lover from Greenland'.
Answer: True
The etymology of the scientific name *Pagophilus groenlandicus* accurately translates to 'ice-lover from Greenland,' referencing its habitat and geographic distribution.
There is only one recognized subspecies of harp seal.
Answer: False
While the species is *Pagophilus groenlandicus*, two subspecies are recognized: *P. g. groenlandicus* and *P. g. oceanicus*.
The harp seal belongs to the family Phocidae, commonly known as 'earless seals'.
Answer: True
Harp seals are classified within the family Phocidae, which encompasses the true or 'earless' seals, distinguished by the absence of external ear flaps.
Which of the following is NOT a common name for *Pagophilus groenlandicus*?
Answer: Arctic wolf seal
While 'harp seal,' 'saddleback seal,' and 'Greenland seal' are recognized common names for *Pagophilus groenlandicus*, 'Arctic wolf seal' is not.
Harp seals were reclassified into the genus *Pagophilus* in which year?
Answer: 1844
The reclassification of the harp seal into the genus *Pagophilus* occurred in the year 1844.
What does the harp seal's scientific name, *Pagophilus groenlandicus*, translate to?
Answer: Ice-lover from Greenland
The scientific name *Pagophilus groenlandicus* is derived from Greek and Latin roots, translating directly to 'ice-lover from Greenland'.
The scientific classification places the harp seal in the family:
Answer: Phocidae
Harp seals belong to the taxonomic family Phocidae, which comprises the true seals.
Adult harp seals are characterized by silver-gray fur and distinctive black, harp-shaped markings on their backs.
Answer: True
The adult morphology of the harp seal includes a silver-gray pelage adorned with prominent black markings on the dorsal side, often resembling a harp or wishbone.
Adult harp seals typically weigh between 250 to 350 pounds.
Answer: False
The typical weight range for adult harp seals is generally between 115 to 140 kilograms (approximately 254 to 309 pounds), which is less than the stated range.
Harp seal pups are born with a dark gray coat that gradually lightens as they mature.
Answer: False
Harp seal pups are born with a distinctive white coat, known as lanugo, which is shed after approximately two to three weeks, transitioning to a spotted, darker coat.
The harp-shaped marking develops more gradually in female harp seals compared to males.
Answer: True
The characteristic dorsal marking often develops more gradually in females, with some individuals not exhibiting a distinct pattern, whereas males typically display a more abrupt development of this feature.
Harp seals primarily rely on their lanugo pelt for insulation throughout their adult lives.
Answer: False
The lanugo pelt is characteristic of pups and is shed early. Adult harp seals rely primarily on a thick layer of blubber for insulation.
Harp seals use circulatory adaptations in their flippers primarily to increase heat generation.
Answer: False
Circulatory adaptations in the flippers are primarily employed to minimize heat loss, not to increase heat generation, serving as crucial thermoregulatory mechanisms.
Specialized vascular networks called retia mirabilia are found in the eyes of harp seals to help conserve heat.
Answer: True
The presence of retia mirabilia, specialized vascular structures, in the eyes of harp seals contributes to heat conservation in this sensitive region.
Harp seal eyes are adapted for low-light conditions using a tapetum lucidum and numerous rods.
Answer: True
The ocular structure of harp seals, including a well-developed tapetum lucidum and a high density of rods, enhances their visual acuity in the low-light environments characteristic of their habitat.
Harp seals use their whiskers (vibrissae) to detect low-frequency vibrations in the water.
Answer: True
The vibrissae, or whiskers, of harp seals are highly sensitive mechanoreceptors capable of detecting subtle low-frequency vibrations, aiding in prey location and environmental sensing during dives.
The tapetum lucidum enhances a harp seal's vision by reflecting light back through the retina.
Answer: True
The tapetum lucidum functions as a reflective layer behind the retina, maximizing light capture and thereby improving visual acuity in low-light conditions.
Brown fat in harp seal pups is primarily used for camouflage.
Answer: False
Brown adipose tissue in harp seal pups serves a critical thermogenic function, generating heat through metabolism, rather than providing camouflage.
The lower critical temperature for harp seals in air is estimated to be around 25°C (77°F).
Answer: False
The lower critical temperature for harp seals in air is significantly lower, estimated to be below 14°F (-10°C), indicating their adaptation to cold environments.
Which physical characteristic is most distinctive for adult harp seals?
Answer: A black, harp-shaped dorsal marking
The most defining visual characteristic of adult harp seals is the prominent black marking on their back, which typically resembles a harp or wishbone shape.
What is the typical weight range for an adult harp seal?
Answer: 115-140 kg (254-309 lbs)
Adult harp seals typically achieve a weight range of 115 to 140 kilograms, equivalent to approximately 254 to 309 pounds.
What is the initial coat of a newborn harp seal pup called, and what color is it?
Answer: Lanugo, white
Newborn harp seal pups are covered in a white coat known as lanugo.
How does the development of the characteristic harp marking typically differ between male and female harp seals?
Answer: Females develop it gradually or may not develop it distinctly, while males often show an abrupt transition.
The development of the dorsal harp marking varies between sexes; it is often more gradual or less distinct in females, whereas males typically exhibit a more pronounced and abrupt appearance of the marking.
After approximately one year of age, what becomes the primary insulator for harp seals?
Answer: A thick layer of blubber
Following the shedding of the lanugo and the development of adult pelage, a substantial layer of blubber serves as the primary insulating mechanism for harp seals.
Which mechanism do harp seals use to minimize heat loss through their flippers?
Answer: Pressing flippers against their bodies when on ice
Behavioral thermoregulation includes pressing flippers against the body to reduce heat loss when resting on ice, complementing physiological adaptations.
What is the function of the countercurrent heat exchange system in harp seal nostrils?
Answer: To conserve heat by warming outgoing air
The countercurrent heat exchange system in the nasal passages serves to conserve body heat by warming exhaled air before it leaves the body, thus reducing thermal loss.
How does the tapetum lucidum in a harp seal's eye aid its vision?
Answer: It reflects light back through the retina, enhancing vision in low light.
The tapetum lucidum acts as a mirror behind the retina, reflecting light that has passed through the photoreceptors back onto them, thereby increasing the amount of light available for vision in dim conditions.
What capability allows harp seals' whiskers (vibrissae) to help them sense their environment?
Answer: Sensing low-frequency vibrations
Harp seals' vibrissae are specialized sensory organs adept at detecting low-frequency vibrations transmitted through the water, which aids in locating prey and navigating their surroundings.
What is the role of brown fat in harp seal pups?
Answer: Generates heat through metabolism (thermogenesis).
Brown fat tissue in harp seal pups is crucial for thermogenesis, generating heat to maintain body temperature.
Harp seals manage their body temperature without significantly increasing metabolic rate by using:
Answer: A thick blubber layer and circulatory adaptations
Efficient thermoregulation in harp seals is achieved through a combination of a substantial insulating blubber layer and sophisticated circulatory mechanisms, minimizing the need for elevated metabolic heat production.
The typical lifespan of a harp seal in the wild is around 10-15 years.
Answer: False
Harp seals possess a considerably longer lifespan, with individuals capable of living for over 30 years in their natural environment.
The breeding season for harp seals occurs primarily in the summer months.
Answer: False
The primary breeding period for harp seals typically occurs in the late winter to early spring, generally between mid-February and April.
Male harp seals court females using underwater bubble emissions and vocalizations.
Answer: True
Courtship rituals performed by male harp seals involve complex underwater behaviors, including the emission of bubbles and vocalizations, to attract females.
Female harp seals typically reach sexual maturity at around 10-12 years of age.
Answer: False
Female harp seals generally attain sexual maturity at an earlier age, typically between five and six years old.
The gestation period for a harp seal is approximately 11.5 months, with active fetal development lasting about 8 months.
Answer: True
The reproductive cycle includes a total gestation period of roughly 11.5 months, of which approximately 8 months are dedicated to active fetal development following implantation.
Harp seal pups are born large, weighing over 50 pounds, and possess thick blubber from birth.
Answer: False
Newborn harp seal pups are considerably smaller, weighing approximately 11 kilograms (24 pounds), and lack the substantial blubber layer of adults, relying initially on their lanugo coat for insulation.
The nursing period for harp seal pups is relatively short, lasting about 4-5 days.
Answer: False
The nursing period for harp seal pups is significantly longer than stated, typically lasting around 12 days, during which rapid weight gain occurs.
After weaning, harp seal pups immediately begin hunting and gain weight rapidly.
Answer: False
Post-weaning, pups enter a period of reduced activity to conserve energy, shedding their lanugo coat and beginning the process of learning to hunt, often experiencing initial weight loss.
During which months does the harp seal breeding season typically occur?
Answer: Mid-February to April
The annual breeding cycle for harp seals generally commences in mid-February and extends through April.
At what age do female harp seals typically reach sexual maturity?
Answer: 5-6 years
Female harp seals typically achieve reproductive capability between the ages of five and six years.
What is the approximate duration of the nursing period for a harp seal pup?
Answer: 12 days
The nursing phase for harp seal pups is relatively brief, lasting approximately 12 days, during which the pup undergoes rapid growth.
What significant event occurs for a harp seal pup immediately after weaning?
Answer: It becomes sedentary to conserve energy and starts shedding its white coat.
Following weaning, pups enter a period of reduced activity, conserving energy while shedding their lanugo coat and preparing for independent foraging.
Harp seals in the Greenland Sea rarely dive deeper than 50 meters.
Answer: False
While shallow dives occur, harp seals in the Greenland Sea are documented to dive considerably deeper, with recorded depths exceeding 500 meters, particularly during certain seasons.
During spring and summer, harp seals tend to make deeper dives compared to late fall and winter.
Answer: False
Diving behavior exhibits seasonal variation; shallower dives are typically observed during spring and summer when foraging near pack ice, while deeper dives are more characteristic of late fall and winter.
Lactating female harp seals spend less time at the surface than necessary for recovery after dives.
Answer: False
Lactating females exhibit significant surface time, which is considered beneficial for energy conservation and avoiding harsh conditions while remaining near their pups, rather than being solely for recovery.
A harp seal's sense of smell is highly developed for detecting prey underwater.
Answer: False
While the sense of smell is important for terrestrial identification (e.g., mothers finding pups), it is not utilized underwater for prey detection, as their nostrils are sealed during dives.
Harp seals are solitary animals and rarely interact with others of their species.
Answer: False
Harp seals are highly social animals, frequently congregating in large numbers, particularly during breeding and molting seasons.
Harp seals are believed to practice a monogamous mating system.
Answer: False
The mating system of harp seals is characterized as promiscuous, involving multiple partners rather than a single pair bond.
Harp seals undertake migrations of up to 4,000 kilometers.
Answer: True
Harp seals are known for their extensive migratory patterns, with some populations traveling distances up to 4,000 kilometers between their feeding and breeding grounds.
In the Greenland Sea, what is the maximum observed dive depth for harp seals?
Answer: Over 500 meters
Observations in the Greenland Sea indicate that harp seals are capable of diving to depths exceeding 500 meters.
During which season do harp seals tend to make shallower dives when foraging near pack ice?
Answer: Spring and summer
Shallower diving behavior is typically observed during the spring and summer months when harp seals are foraging in proximity to pack ice.
Why is significant surface time observed in lactating female harp seals considered important?
Answer: To conserve energy and avoid harsh ice conditions while near pups.
Extended periods at the surface for lactating females are believed to facilitate energy conservation and provide refuge from harsh environmental conditions while ensuring proximity to their pups.
Which sense is crucial for mother harp seals to locate their pups on the ice?
Answer: Smell
The olfactory sense plays a critical role in maternal recognition, enabling mother harp seals to identify and locate their specific pups amidst the crowded ice floes.
Harp seals are described as social animals, often exhibiting which behavior within their groups?
Answer: Vocalization
Within their social groupings, harp seals frequently engage in vocal communication, a key aspect of their complex social interactions.
What is the believed mating system of the harp seal?
Answer: Promiscuous
Research suggests that harp seals exhibit a promiscuous mating system, characterized by multiple mating partners.
Harp seals are herbivores, feeding mainly on seaweed and kelp.
Answer: False
Harp seals are carnivorous marine mammals; their diet consists primarily of fish and crustaceans, not plant matter like seaweed or kelp.
Capelin and Arctic cod are significant components of the harp seal diet in the Western North Atlantic.
Answer: True
In the Western North Atlantic region, capelin and Arctic cod constitute important elements of the harp seal's predatory intake.
Polar bears and killer whales are among the main predators of harp seals.
Answer: True
Polar bears and killer whales represent significant predatory threats to harp seals, particularly impacting younger individuals.
The scientific name for the capelin, a prey item, is *Boreogadus saida*.
Answer: False
The scientific name *Boreogadus saida* refers to the Arctic cod. The capelin is scientifically known as *Mallotus villosus*.
Which of the following is NOT typically listed as prey for harp seals?
Answer: Seaweed
Harp seals are carnivores; their diet comprises various fish and invertebrates. Seaweed is a plant-based food source not typically consumed by harp seals.
In the White Sea, what is the predominant prey for harp seals?
Answer: Krill
In the White Sea ecosystem, krill constitutes a primary food source for harp seals, alongside other smaller fish and invertebrates.
Which of the following is a major predator of harp seals, especially pups?
Answer: Orca (Killer Whale)
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are significant predators of harp seals, posing a particular threat to young pups.
What is the scientific name for Arctic cod, a prey item for harp seals?
Answer: *Boreogadus saida*
The scientific designation for the Arctic cod, a prey species for harp seals, is *Boreogadus saida*.
According to the IUCN Red List, the harp seal is classified as a vulnerable species.
Answer: False
The harp seal is currently assessed as 'Least Concern' by the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable and widespread population that does not meet the criteria for threatened status.
Mortality rates for harp seal pups are low, with over 90% surviving their first year.
Answer: False
Harp seal pups face significant mortality risks, with approximately 30% not surviving their first year due to predation and environmental challenges.
The three main harp seal populations are geographically separated and do not interbreed.
Answer: True
The distinct populations, or stocks, of harp seals are maintained in allopatric (geographically separated) distributions, preventing interbreeding between them.
The estimated harp seal pup production in the Northwest Atlantic in 2017 was less than 100,000.
Answer: False
Estimates for harp seal pup production in the Northwest Atlantic in 2017 indicated a significantly higher number, approximately 746,500.
Historical hunting practices have caused harp seal populations to fluctuate significantly, dropping to as low as 1 million from over 9 million.
Answer: True
The historical impact of commercial hunting has led to substantial fluctuations in harp seal population sizes, reducing numbers from an estimated peak of over 9 million to as low as 1 million at certain periods.
The estimated global population of harp seals is approximately 500,000 individuals.
Answer: False
Current estimates place the global population of harp seals at approximately 4.5 million individuals, considerably higher than 500,000.
What is the current conservation status of the harp seal according to the IUCN?
Answer: Least Concern
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently classifies the harp seal as 'Least Concern' due to its large and stable population.
The three main populations (stocks) of harp seals are known to:
Answer: Be geographically separated and not interbreed.
The distinct geographical distributions of the three primary harp seal populations preclude interbreeding, maintaining their genetic and ecological separation.
What is the estimated global population of harp seals?
Answer: Around 4.5 million
The global population of harp seals is estimated to be approximately 4.5 million individuals.
Vagrant harp seals have been recorded in Great Britain and Norway.
Answer: True
Observations of harp seals appearing outside their typical range, termed vagrancy, have been documented in regions such as Great Britain and Norway.
Dehydration and high parasite loads are factors contributing to harp seals stranding on Atlantic coasts.
Answer: True
Physiological conditions such as dehydration and significant parasite burdens can contribute to harp seals becoming stranded on coastal areas.
Commercial hunting of harp seals is primarily conducted by the United States and Mexico.
Answer: False
The primary nations involved in the commercial hunting of harp seals include Canada, Norway, Russia, and Greenland, not the United States or Mexico.
Canadian regulations banned the hunting of whitecoat harp seals in 1987.
Answer: True
Legislation enacted in Canada prohibited the hunting of whitecoat harp seals starting in 1987, influencing subsequent hunting practices.
Humane killing procedures for harp seals focus on ensuring irreversible skull damage after stunning.
Answer: True
Regulated humane killing protocols for harp seals emphasize immediate incapacitation through stunning, followed by measures to confirm death, such as ensuring irreversible cranial damage.
What factor is mentioned as potentially contributing to harp seals invading Norwegian fjords in 1987?
Answer: Competition for prey possibly caused by commercial fishing
The unusual influx of harp seals into Norwegian fjords in 1987 is hypothesized to be linked to increased competition for food resources, potentially exacerbated by commercial fishing activities.
Which of the following is a primary country involved in the commercial hunting of harp seals?
Answer: Canada
Canada is recognized as a principal nation engaged in the commercial hunting of harp seals.
What is the main age group targeted in Canadian harp seal hunts since 2000?
Answer: Beaters (seals less than one year old)
Since the year 2000, Canadian harp seal hunting regulations have primarily targeted 'beaters,' which are seals less than one year of age.