HOODED SEAL FACTS
Description
The Hooded Seal inhabits ice packs and cold northern Atlantic waters. It has a grey body with dark spotted pattern, and a black head.
Hooded seals are very aggressive compared to other seal species. Adult males demonstrate their aggression by inflating their "hood" (balloon-like ball on their face), which can grow to twice the size of a football.
Hooded seal, Cystophora cristata
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Where are they found? Asia, Europe, North America ...
Hooded seal
Cystophora cristata
An arctic seal in which males have a bizarre inflatable 'hood' on their heads, and can also inflate their nasal cavity out through their nostrils like a red balloon.
Hooded seals are named for the bi-lobed hood-an enlargement of the nasal cavity on the heads of males. The male can inflate the hood and move air back and forth between the two lobes.
Hooded Seal
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Cystophora cristata - female and pup on ice floe; males in water, from left to right: normal, extruded nasal septum, and inflated hood
Click to enlarge. (92 kb) ...
The Hooded Seal, Cystophora cristata, is sometimes found on the Atlantic coast. It normally lives along the coast from Labrador to Greenland but occasionally wanders as far south as Florida.
There are seven species of seals in Canada; the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina), the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), ...
A fourth group includes the elephant seal and hooded seal. There are two elephant seal species, one of the Northern and one of the Southern Hemisphere. They are distinguished by their immense size and trunklike snouts.
They also hunt bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus), harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus), hooded seals (Cystophora cristata), walruses (Odobenus rosmarus), sea birds and their eggs, small mammals, fish and scavenge on carrion of seals, walruses, ...
Zoo scientists discovered that hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) nurse for only four days-the shortest known lactation period of any mammal.
Their primary prey is the ringed seal though they also take bearded, harp and hooded seals and the occasional walrus youngster. They will also scavenge walrus and whale carcasses.
Hooded Seal Cystophora cristatus - Vagrant.
Harp Seal Pagophilus groenlandicus - Vagrant.
Walrus Odobenus rosmarus - Vagrant.
Pine Marten Martes martes
Stoat (Ermine) Mustela erminea
Least Weasel M. nivalis
European Polecat M. putorius ...
They also eat bearded seal, harp seal and hooded seal. Young walrus are sometimes taken.
Polar bears also eat harp seals and hooded seals, and they scavenge on carcasses of caribou, musk-oxen, whale, walrus (usually pups) and seal.
Wild: primary food is ringed seals (2nd is bearded seals), harp seals, hooded seals, & walrus & whale carcasses when available; in summer, also eat berries, crabs, plants, small rodents, seaweed, starfish, sea cucumbers, etc.
Other more northerly seals such as : Ringed, Harp, Bearded, Hooded Seals which usually live north of Nova Scotia, may from time to time wander into our area. Sightings of these seals should be reported.
CARNIVORA: Phocidae (Earless or Hair Seals)
Common Name Scientific Name Distribution
Hooded Seal
Cystophora cristata ...
The length of lactation in phocids ranges from 28 days in the Northern Elephant Seal to just 3-5 days in the Hooded Seal. The nursing period is ended by the mother, who departs to sea and leaves her pup at the breeding site.
Porbeagle (Lamna nasus)
Shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus)
Thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus)
Hooded seal (Cystophora cristata)
Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) ...
 See also: Whale, Walrus, Sea Lion, Pinniped, Squid
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