Fascinating Facts About Arctic Bearded Seal

Fascinating Facts About Arctic Bearded Seal The bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) gets its name from its thick, light-colored whiskers, which resemble a beard. These ice seals live in Arctic waters, often on or near floating ice. Bearded seals are 7-8 feet long and weigh 575-800 pounds. Females are larger than males. Bearded seals have a small head, short snout, and square flippers. Their large body has a dark gray or brown coat that may have dark spots or rings. These seals live on or under the ice. They may even sleep in the water, with their heads at the surface so that they can breathe. When under the ice, they breathe through breathing holes, which they may form by pushing their heads through thin ice. Unlike ringed seals, bearded seals dont seem to maintain their breathing holes for long periods. When bearded seals rest on the ice, they lay near the edge, facing down so that they can quickly escape a predator. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: CarnivoraFamily: PhocidaeGenus: ErignathusSpecies: Barbatus Habitat and Distribution Bearded seals live in cold, icy regions in the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. They are solitary animals who haul out on ice floes. They may also be found under the ice, but need to come up to the surface and breathe through breathing holes. They live in areas where the water is less than 650 feet deep. Feeding Bearded seals eat fish (e.g., Arctic cod), cephalopods (octopus), and crustaceans (shrimp and crab), and clams. They hunt near the ocean bottom, using their whiskers (vibrissae) to help find food. Reproduction Female bearded seals are sexually mature at around 5 years, while males become sexually mature at 6-7 years. From March to June, males vocalize. When they vocalize, the males dive in a spiral underwater, releasing bubbles as they go, which creates a circle. They surface in the center of the circle. They make a variety of sounds - trills, ascents, sweeps, and moans. Individual males have unique vocalizations, and some males are very territorial, while others may roam. The sounds are thought to be used to advertise their fitness to potential mates and have only been heard during the breeding season. Mating occurs in spring. Females give birth to a pup about 4 feet long in length and 75 pounds in weight the following spring. The total gestation period is about 11 months. Pups are born with a soft fur called lanugo. This fur is grayish-brown and is shed after about a month. Pups nurse their mothers rich, fatty milk for about 2-4 weeks, and then must fend for themselves. The life span of bearded seals is thought to be about 25-30 years. Conservation and Predators Bearded seals are listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. Natural predators of bearded seals include polar bears (their main natural predators), killer whales (orcas), walruses and Greenland sharks. Human-caused threats include hunting (by native hunters), pollution, oil exploration and (potentially) oil spills, increased human noise, coastal development, and climate change. These seals use the ice for breeding, molting, and resting, so they are a species thought to be very vulnerable to global warming. In December 2012, two population segments (the Beringia and Okhotsk population segments) were listed under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA said that the listing was due to the likelihood of a significant decrease in sea ice later this century. References and Further Reading Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Bearded Seal. Accessed January 31, 2013.ARKive. Bearded Seal. Accessed January 31, 2013.Berta, A.; Churchill, M. 2012. Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species, January 31, 2013.Discovery of Sound in the Sea. Bearded Seal. Accessed January 31, 2013.Kovacs, K. Lowry, L. (IUCN SSC Pinniped Specialist Group) 2008. Erignathus barbatus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. Accessed January 31, 2013.NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources. Bearded Seal Accessed January 31, 2013.

70 Idioms with Heart

70 Idioms with Heart 70 Idioms with Heart 70 Idioms with Heart By Mark Nichol Idioms that refer to what is the fanciful seat of our emotions as well as the factual core of our circulatory system are understandably numerous. Here’s a list of phrases and expressions that include heart and, for the most part, pertain to human feelings. 1. a big heart: said of someone kind and loving 2. after my own heart: said of someone with similar preferences or values 3. a heart of gold: see â€Å"a big heart† 4. a heart of stone: said of someone without sympathy 5. all heart: see â€Å"a big heart†; sometimes used sarcastically to mean the opposite 6. at heart: basically 7. bare (one’s) heart: share one’s feelings or thoughts 8. bleeding heart: said of someone who is conspicuously or excessively generous 9. break (one’s) heart: cause someone emotional distress 10. by heart: from memory 11–13. capture/steal/win (one’s) heart: make someone fall in love with one 14–16. close/dear/near to (one’s) heart: loved or valued by someone 17. cross my heart: said as an oath to assert one’s honesty 18. didn’t have the heart: said when one cannot summon the will to do something hurtful 19. do (one’s) heart good: said about something that will be beneficial to someone 20. eat your heart out: said mockingly to someone expressing the desire for them to suffer; usually facetious 21. faint of heart: lacking courage 22–23. find a way into/to (one’s) heart: cause someone to fall in love with one 24. find it in (one’s) heart: have the compassion or courage to do something 25. follow (one’s) heart: do what one loves rather than what is expected of one 26. from the heart: with sincerity 27–28. gladden the/(one’s) heart: make someone happy or gratified 29. harden (one’s) heart: become callous 30. have (one’s) heart set on: be obsessed with obtaining 31. have (one’s) (best) interests at heart: be doing something for someone else’s benefit 32. heart goes out to: said in regard to feeling sympathy for someone 33. heart in (one’s) mouth: said of someone who has strong emotions about someone or something 34. heart is in the right place: said of someone well intentioned 35. heart of the matter: essence 36. hearts and minds: said in reference to persuading rather than compelling 37. heart’s desire: what one wishes deeply for 38. heart skips a beat: said of someone excited, frightened, or surprised 39. heavy heart: sadness 40–41. from the bottom/depths of (one’s) heart: profoundly 42. in (one’s) heart of hearts: if one’s true feelings or thoughts were known 43. know (one’s) heart: be aware of one’s true feelings 44. lose heart: become discouraged 45–46. matters/affairs of the heart: said of something pertaining to a love affair 47. melt (one’s) heart: cause someone to experience uncontrollable emotions 48. nearly gave (one) a heart attack: caused someone to feel anxiety or fear 49. (one’s) heart bleeds for: one is sympathetic 50. (one’s) heart is knocking: said of someone excited or nervous 51. (one’s) heart is not in: one does not feel a commitment to or an interest in 52. (one’s) heart leaps: one is excited 53. (one’s) heart melts: see â€Å"melt someone’s heart† 54. (one’s) heart sinks: one becomes discouraged 55. open (one’s) heart: show generosity or kindness 56–57. out of the goodness/kindness of (one’s) heart: because of generosity or goodwill 58. pour (one’s) heart/soul out: see â€Å"bare (one’s) heart† 59. put (one’s) heart into: do something with conviction or enthusiasm 60. sick at heart: discouraged 61–62. strike fear into (one’s) heart/into the heart of (one): cause someone to be afraid 63. take heart: be encouraged 64. take (something) to heart: be affected by something 65. to (one’s) heart’s content: to the extent one desires 66. warm (one’s)/the cockles of (one’s) heart: cause someone to feel positive emotion 67. wear (one’s) heart on (one’s) sleeve: openly show one’s emotions 68. with a sinking heart: said of someone who becomes discouraged or hopeless 69. with all (one’s) heart: with great enthusiasm 70. young at heart: youthful Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?Anyone vs. EveryoneHow to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations