The common seal (Phoca vitulina), also known as the harbor seal, is an agile carnivore with a streamlined body and flipper-like limbs that enable them to swim with great skill. Common seals grow to lengths of up 6.5 feet and weights of 120 to 370 pounds. Males are generally larger than females.
Common seals have a thick coat of short hair. Their coloration varies, with spots ranging from off-white to black or brown. Common seals are among the world's most wide-ranging seals. Common seals inhabit the coastal areas of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans and is found in arctic, subarctic, and temperate regions.
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- Diet: fish, squid, crustaceans, mollusks, squid
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Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Phocidae
- Genus: Phoca
- Species: Phoca vitulina
The species Phoca vitulina contains the following subgroups:- Subspecies: Phoca vitulina vitulina (Eastern Atlantic harbor seal)
- Subspecies: Phoca vitulina concolor (Western Atlantic harbor seal)
- Subspecies: Phoca vitulina richarii (Pacific harbor seal)
- Subspecies: Phoca vitulina mellonae (Ungava seal)
- Subspecies: Phoca vitulina stejnegeri (Insular seal)
Range and Habitat:
Coastal regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Habitats include coastal islands, beaches, and sand bars.
References:
- Burnie D, Wilson DE. 2001. Animal. London: Dorling Kindersley. 624 p.
- Steinway M. 2003. Phoca vitulina, Animal Diversity Web. November 22, 2008.
