Callorhinus ursinus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : Northern fur seal
French : Otarie à fourrure du nord

Classification
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Otariidae
Notes : 1 subspecies known.

Identification
Males can reach a total length of 2.10 m for a weight up to 270 kg. Females are much smaller. Dark brown to blackish-brown fur with a light patch on breast and around nose. Males have a mane from head to breast and are darker.

Range and habitat
North Pacific Ocean from Japan and Russia to Alaska, south to California and extreme north-west Mexico. Pelagic species, often seen far from shore. Breeds on rocky areas, rarely beaches.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : VULNERABLE
CITES : Not listed
Status : The species’ populations are all declining because of commercial hunting, hunting by killer whales and entanglement in fishing-gear such as nets.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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