Word Scramble
Directions: All of the words on the left have something
to do with Harbor Seals. Read through them and try to unscramble all the
words on the right side of the box.
| Harbor Seals | lcnenha sdlisna |
| San Miguel Island | rharob leass |
| Channel Islands | eacon |
| Seal pups | lase sppu |
| Ocean | ans luemig slidna |
A Harbor seal looks for prey using its whiskers. Suddenly she sees a small school of fish swimming a little ahead of her. She swims up and eats them all. Then the Harbor Seal looks for other prey.
What do Harbor Seals look like?
Harbor Seals have a dog-like face, gentle eyes,
and long whiskers, they also have a short tail, three to four inches long.
Their coats can be silver-gray, black, or dark brown. Harbor Seals are
covered with hair. Underneath that is blubber to keep them warm. Male Harbor
Seals are 5-5 ¬* feet in length and weigh about 200-250 pounds. Females
are about 4 ¬*-5 feet in length and weigh about 150-200 pounds. Seal
pups weigh 12-20 pounds and are around 2 ¬* feet in length. They are
born with white fur, but they molt soon after birth.
Where do Harbor Seals live?
A Harbor Seal lives north of the equator, in Alaska,
Baja, Mexico, and California. They live mostly in the sea and on the coast.
Harbor Seals barely go far away from their birthplace, so they are seen
near coastal waters, sandy beaches, mudflats, and estuaries.
What are some interesting facts
about Harbor Seals?
Seal pups can swim at birth unlike some other sea
animals. It helps that they are able to close their nostrils while diving.
Most Harbor Seals mate in the sea but have birth on land. Every year Harbor
Seals migrate southward at the beginning of winter to a warmer place. Harbor
Seals are part of the earless family. They have external ear flaps. Also,
Harbor Seals are distant cousins of cats and dogs because they are both
carnivores. Harbor Seals live for about 25 years.
When and where are Harbor Seal pups
born?
Harbor Seal pups are born on the shore at springtime.
Usually only one pup is born at a time. For the first few weeks mothers
are very protective but after about four weeks they abandon their pups.
What are Harbor Seal's prey and
predators?
Harbor Seals eat fish, squid, and krill. Their predators
are polar bears, sharks, and killer whales. But other animals aren't the
only problem to Harbor Seals. Humans club seal pups for their fur, or fishermen
shoot them because they destroy their nets to get fish.
Do Harbor Seals stay together?
I really liked doing a report on Harbor Seals. Reading
about them is a lot of fun. I think it's also sad that Harbor Seals get
clubbed and shot. Harbor Seals are very interesting and beautiful animals.
Harbor Seal Pictures
http://www.cresli.org/cresli/seals/hbrseals.html |
http://animalpicturesarchive.com/ |