Galapagos+Fur+Seal

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﻿ Galapogas Fur Seal  (// Arctocephalus galapagoensis) //  ** Physical Discription **  Galapogose fur seal is found on the island of Galapogos. It has brownish grayish fur. Adult males mesure up to 1.5 meters and females mesure about 1.2 meters. The adults can weigh up to 64 kilograms and the females weigh up to only 27 kilograms.

** Hab ﻿ itat ** ﻿The Galapogos fur seal can be found on rocky areas when they are onshore. You can only see them once in a while because the spend 70% of their lives in the ocean. When onshore they pick rocky areas where they can seek shelter from the sun. ** Diet ** The diet of the Galapagos fure seal consits of fish, smaller octopuses,and squid.

**Reproduction ** Females are able to have offspring by their fifth year. Pupping begins in the cooling season in the begining of August and ends in November. Gestation is approximately one year. After 8 days of giving birth the females go back into estrus. The peak mating time is in October. If a female gives birth to a pup the next year it only has 50% chance of survival. The year old pup may kill the new pup or lack of the resources may also result in starvation. Female Galapogose fur seals only produce about 5 pups in their lifetime. The breeding season lasts from mid-August to mid November. **Behavior ** The Galapagos fur seal is the most terristrial species of the family Otariidae. They only spend 70% of their lives in water. The females can dive for 16.4 hours to the depth of 30 meters at night. After giving birt the females will leave their pups for 1-4 day to dive for food. The pups dont become independat for atleast two years. Dominate males could hold a territory of up to 200 square meters. Males hold these territories with high levels of aggression. The death rate for fighting males is usually 30% annually.

**Conservation ** The Galapagos fur seal is protected by the Galapagos National Park Service under Ecuadorean law. It will also be manage by the Galapagos Islands. The reason why these wonderful creatures are endagangerd is the commercial seal hunting. During the 19th centuary, the Galapagos fur seal was severly impacted by the large-scale commercial seal hunting. By the early 1900's it was said that the fur seal was extinct due to overhunting. By 1933 they nearly extinct and they new thay should do something, by conservation of these animal by 1989 the seal population had increased to between 30,000 and 40,000.

** Endagered Species Act ** The Endangerd species act was added in 1973. The was an amended in to public law approved in December 28, 1973. It provides conservation of species that are endangered or are threatened. This act was amended several times. The purpose of this act is to save the animals that people have taken advantage of throughou the world. There are approximately 1,950 species on the act today. Of these spececies 1.375 are found in the United States and its water.