Ringed Seal
Ringed Seal
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| ワモンアザラシ | |||
| Character Data | |||
| Romaji | Wamon'azarashi
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| Debut | Kemono Friends (2015 Game) | ||
| Animal Data | |||
| Scientific Name | Pusa hispida
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| Distribution | Arctic Ocean
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| Diet | Piscivore
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| Avg. Lifespan | 15 to 20 years
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| Read More | Ringed seal
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| Conservation | 
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| Ringed Seal | Nexon Game |
Ringed Seal is a type of mammal Friend that appeared in the original Kemono Friends mobile game.
Series Appearances
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In Real Life
Ringed seals are the smallest and most plentiful seals in the Arctic. Although no accurate estimate exists, there are probably more than 2 million Arctic ringed seals worldwide. They are named for the small rings scattered across the darker fur on their backs. Ringed seals have a small head, a short, cat-like snout, and a plump body. Their dark coat features light-colored rings on the back and sides, with a pale belly. Newborn pups have a white natal coat (lanugo), which they shed within 4-6 weeks. Equipped with thick, strong claws on their small foreflippers, ringed seals can maintain breathing holes through ice that is over six feet thick.
Ringed seals are a key prey species for polar bears and killer whales and have long been an important part of the diet of indigenous Arctic peoples. Ringed seals primarily inhabit Arctic waters, favoring areas with pack ice and ice floes, and rarely come ashore in much of their range. Further south, as well as in Lake Ladoga and Lake Saimaa, they rest on rocks, offshore reefs, and island shores when ice is unavailable. During winter and early spring, ringed seals create lairs in snowdrifts above their breathing holes. As temperatures rise and the snow covering their lairs melts in spring, they shift from using lairs to basking on the ice near breathing holes, lairs, or cracks while undergoing their annual molt. Typically solitary, ringed seals are usually found alone but may gather in large groups during the molting season around cracks or breathing holes in the ice.
Ringed seals are carnivores (piscivores, planktivores). Ringed seals consume a diverse range of primarily small prey. While their diet varies by region and season, fish from the cod family are often the primary component in many areas. Crustaceans become more significant during the open-water season and frequently dominate the diet of younger seals. When foraging, ringed seals can dive to depths of 150 feet or more.
Trivia
- Ringed seals are well-adapted to heavily ice-covered areas during the fall, winter, and spring. They use the stout claws on their foreflippers to keep breathing holes intact in the ice.
- There are five currently recognized subspecies of the ringed seal.
- Groups of these seals are often referred to as pods or bobs.
References
1. "NOAA Fisheries".
2. "Ringed seal Wikipedia article".
3. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species".