Phoca largha

(Pallas, 1811)

Vernacular names
English : Spotted seal
French : Phoque tacheté

Classification
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Phocidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach a body length of 1.46 m for a weight of 115 kg. Round and broad snout, round head, very short limbs. Coloration variable, usually silvery-grey to dark grey with black blotches of various size all over body.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in the northern Pacific Ocean, from north China, Korea, Japan and north-east Russia to Alaska. Lives in areas with seasonal pack ice, with small ice floes.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not listed
Status : This species has a large range and there are currently no signs of declines in most known populations.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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