Mediterranean monk seal

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mediterranean monk seal
Mediterranean monk seal in a diorama of the Natural History Museum of Milan

Mediterranean monk seal in a diorama of the Natural History Museum of Milan

Systematics
Subordination : Canine (Caniformia)
without rank: Seals (Pinnipedia)
Family : Dog seals (Phocidae)
Tribe : Monk seals (monachini)
Genre : Monachus
Type : Mediterranean monk seal
Scientific name of the  genus
Monachus
Fleming , 1822
Scientific name of the  species
Monachus monachus
( Hermann , 1779)
Distribution map

The Mediterranean monk seal ( Monachus monachus ) is an endangered species of seal from the dog seal family . With an estimated 350 to 450 sexually mature individuals, it is one of the rarest mammals in Europe .

description

The main characteristic is the double caudal fin. These seals are very variable in color; it lies between light gray and black-brown. With a length of 240 cm and a weight of 280 kg (females), the Mediterranean monk seal is significantly larger than a common seal. Females are slightly smaller than males. Young animals are born with about 80 cm and a black birth fur, which often has a white spot.

distribution

The only species of seal in the Mediterranean has become extremely rare due to persecution. The largest populations are found on the Greek and Turkish coasts ( Foça , Anamur and Alonnisos ). Two thirds of the population is said to be located in the Greek Alonnisos Marine Park alone . Smaller residual populations live on the African coast between Morocco and the Western Sahara (there on the southern tip of the Ras Nouadhibou peninsula ) and near the Ilhas Desertas in the Madeira archipelago in the Atlantic, but also in the Strait of Sicily near La Galite ( Tunisia ). The colony near Madeira includes around 30 animals and the population has been increasing in recent years. Furthermore, there are small populations on the coast of Istria , for example near the city of Pula .

Way of life

The Mediterranean monk seal is a diurnal fish eater that can be found in small colonies of a maximum of twenty animals. To give birth, she typically visits caves that can only be reached underwater, although historical descriptions show that open beaches were also used until the 18th century.

Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive behavior of the Mediterranean monk seal. Scientists suspect that the species lives polygynously . Although births occur throughout the year, they peak in October and November. Also because many caves are inundated by floods or storm surges during this time, the mortality among young animals is very high: the IUCN assumes that only 29% of the animals born between September and January survive. The lactation period averages 134 days.

Mediterranean monk seal and human

Aristotle already gave a description of the monk seal, which is the first seal ever described. For centuries, many fishermen have seen this seal as competition. Because of this and the heavy pollution of the living areas, this mammal is now very much threatened with extinction.

Finds of bones with cut marks in the Gorham Cave , Gibraltar, show that the Neanderthals already used monk seals at least occasionally. Active hunting with weapons on adult seals has not yet been proven. However, this proves an earlier spread of the monk seal along the Iberian south coast.

Protective measures

To protect the species, the national parks around the Ilhas Desertas near Madeira and the Northern Sporades in the Aegean were established in 1992 . This species is also listed in CITES Appendix I (total trade ban).

A 2013 study by the Italian Ministry of the Environment confirms the presence of monk seals in the marine reserve of the Egadi Islands .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alexandros Karamanlidis (MOm / Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal), Panagiotis Dendrinos (MOm / Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal): IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mediterranean Monk Seal. July 16, 2015, accessed April 25, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b Monachus Guardian Mediterranean Monk Seal
  3. ↑ [1]
  4. ↑ Article about the monk seals at madeirabirds (engl.)
  5. ↑ Mediterranean monk seal a regular guest on the beaches in Pula. PulaInfo. Retrieved April 29, 2014 .
  6. ↑ Entry by Monachus monachus in the Washington Convention on the Protection of Species (Engl.)
  7. ↑ http://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/news/sul-monitoraggio-e-goi-avvistamenti-della-foca-monaca
  8. ↑ http://www.isprambiente.gov.it/files/comunicati-stampa/ComunicatoEgadiMinistrorev13_05_revisione2.pdf

literature

  • David Macdonald: The New Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2001. ISBN 0-19-850823-9

Web links

Commons : Monachus monachus  - Collection of images, videos and audio files