Harp seal

Description

This focide measures up to 1.8-2 meters,weighing 140-190 kg;the male is bigger than the female.It has a gray-brownish livery with a dark gray or black head.On their backs,adults have a large,dark,harp-like patch,from which the Italian name and the English harp seal derive.Smaller spots are present on the neck and on the sides.The puppies are yellow-white at birth,then become white and remain so for 12 days.In this phase,whitecoat is called in English,to underline the white coat.Between the thirteenth day and the month of age,the white hair falls in tufts showing the fur below,similar to that of adults,dark stained but without the harp design,which appears after about 4 years.