Seals and sea lions have just one pup a year. This insures that the baby will be born at the rookery instead of at sea. Grey seals usually only have 1 to 2 babies at a time. Trade in products made from hooded seals has been outlawed by the European Union since 1983; however, other countries (such as Canada) sanction limited harvesting by indigenous peoples and commercial interests. They share space on their family tree with walruses (odobenids) and sea lions (otariids). By contrast, hooded seals are the largest found in the Arctic region, measuring between roughly 8 and 10 feet long and weighing in at up to 880 pounds. Hooded Seals: Main Characteristics. Classified as pochids in the pinniped group, true seals lack the ear flaps their sea lion cousins enjoy, and they have stubby flippers that work flawlessly in … Researchers have been able to observe seals in their natural environments to fully understand the reproduction process. Others, like the harp seal, will have their babies directly on icebergs. A female Hooded Seal can give birth to one pup per year. Many of the seals requiring assistance were undernourished pups, while others were adults that had been injured, bitten by other seals or weakened by parasites or bacterial infections. On the west coast these seals have their pups in the winter. Asked in Endangered, Vulnerable, and Threatened Species , Seals and Sea Lions Bearded seals are larger, with a maximum weight of almost 800 pounds. Harp seals mate each year and give birth to their snowy white bundles of joy. Harp seal milk initially contains 25% fat (this number increases to 40% by weaning as the mother fasts) and pups gain over 2.2 kilograms (4.9 lb) per day while nursing, quickly thickening their blubber layer. Spotted, ribbon and harp seals are on the smaller end of the spectrum, with maximum weights of 250 pounds, 175 pounds and 400 pounds, respectively. The hooded seal is listed as an Appendix III species under the Bern Convention. This ‘mini’ invasion was possibly related to a hunting party … Usually females give birth to only a single pup, but in rare cases they have … Asked in School Subjects , Seals and Sea Lions , Baby Names Breeding season is during the spring. How many babies can a leopard seal have? Seal Breeding and Reproduction. They call the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean home. These seals have a black face and greyish blue fur with dark stain patterns; although when they are underwater their bodies show an uniform color. Babies suckle only four to five days. However, the main reason of their name relies on the surprising nasal appendage that adorns the head of adult males which develop around 4 years of age. Seals belong to the marine mammal group known as pinnipeds. Pregnancy in hooded seals lasts 11 months and it ends with a single baby. Danger Beneath the Water: 10 Facts About Leopard Seals. The Leopard Seal has one pup at a time, and maybe even two. Hooded Seal males become sexually mature at around 6 years of age while females mature anywhere from 3 to 6 years. In 1986, several hooded seals washed ashore on the coasts of France, Belgium and the Netherlands. As breeding season emerges, the males will start to turn on each other. Before each adorable baby harp seal makes his debut into the world, his father battles it out with other harp seals to see who can mate with the female. How many babies can a hooded seal have? If your sense of adventure takes you on an Antarctic cruise, you may be lucky enough to cross paths with a leopard seal.They’re amazing creatures to observe in and out of the water, and a quintessential aspect of the Antarctic experience. On the east coast grey seals have their pups in the autumn. Hooded seals have the shortest period of lactation (breast-feeding) of all mammals. Pregnancy lasts twelve months, but when a female becomes pregnant, the egg does not begin to develop in her womb until five months after it is fertilized.