Caspian seal

Description

Caspian seals are mainly characterized by the spots on the back,usually lighter in females.The adults measure approximately 1.5 meters in length and weigh around 86 kilograms.They also show considerable sexual dimorphism,since males are generally larger and more stocky than females.Compared to the rest of the body,the head is rather small.The dental formula of these pinnipeds is I 3/2,R 1/1,PC 6/5.Caspian seals live mainly in shallow waters: they usually do not dive more than 50 meters or more than a minute,although seals have sometimes been sighted at greater depths or have made longer lasting dives.They are gregarious animals and spend most of their time in large colonies.After a gestation period of 11 months,only one child is born in January or February.As happens in the other seals from the rings,at birth the little ones are covered with a white skin and weigh about 5 kilograms.However,between the age of three weeks and a month,the young people mute.Sexual maturity is reached at 5 years from females and 6 or 7 years from males.