What is a harp seals food chain?
Omnivorous
Harp seal/Trophic level
What type of consumer is a harp seal?
Harp seals are secondary consumers, which mainly eat fish like Arctic cod and Arctic char, and some crustaceans. The top predators, or tertiary consumers, are polar bears and the Orca whale. Polar bears eat seals and fish, while Orca whales eat fish, but also have been known to attack larger whales and seals.
What is a group of harp seals called?
Seven super harp seal facts Harp seals are sometimes called “saddlebacks” due to the saddle-shaped markings on their backs. Mother harp seals can identify their own young out of the thousands of other pups in a colony by their scent. Seals that wander away from the herd are referred to as vagrants.
Is a harp seal a carnivore herbivore or omnivore?
Harp Seals are carnivores (meat-eaters). Harp Seals eat mostly fish and crustaceans. Seals do not chew their food, they swallow it in large chunks.
How much do harp seals eat in a day?
Quality. In general, seals consume 4 percent to 6 percent of their body weight daily. The average male grey seal, sporting a dark gray coat with silvery spots, weighs approximately 880 pounds and requires 35 to 52 pounds of food daily.
Why are harp seals important to the ocean?
The great herds of seals are a life force whose influence on the health of the ocean can be recognized once the complexities of the food chain are investigated and understood. When harp seals eat in herds, the return massive amounts of nutrients in the form of fecal material,…
What kind of animal eats a harp seal?
Adult harp seals are eaten by killer whales and large sharks. Juveniles are eaten by polar bears and other terrestrial predators, including foxes and wolves. Courtship among harp seals takes place on the ice surface, but mating typically occurs in the water. Both males and females may mate with several partners during the mating season.
How does a harbor seal get its food?
With their back molars, they crush shells and crustaceans. In dark or low light conditions, a harbor seal uses its sensitive vibrissae to find food. Harbor seals generally obtain the water they need from their food. If food intake is decreased, the metabolic breakdown of fat produces water.
Where does mating take place in a harp seal?
Courtship among harp seals takes place on the ice surface, but mating typically occurs in the water. Both males and females may mate with several partners during the mating season. Like all mammals, harp seals reproduce via internal fertilization and give birth to live young.