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- Title
Extended Molting against the Background of Climate Warming Explains the Emergence of the Baikal Seal (Pusa sibirica, Pinnipedia) onto Coastal Rookeries.
- Authors
Petrov, E. A.; Kupchinskii, A. B.
- Abstract
An analysis of the video films taken at a Baikal seal rookery in the period 2011–2021 on Dolgii Island (Ushkan'i Islands, northern Lake Baikal), showed that the total number and time of emergence of animals onto the shore were determined by the time of the disappearance of ice in the northern part of the lake. Nonetheless, regardless of the ice regime, a significant part of the animals (up to 80%) leaving land continued molting. At the same time, the nature of molting (its topology) was disturbed in the vast majority of cases, molting being diffuse in character, often with elements of pathological manifestations. The number of molting individuals (in %) decreased by autumn, but still remained large, even though such dynamics were not observed every year. Incomplete molting did not interfere with fattening of the animals, as most seals were well or very well fed (especially by autumn), with individuals leaving the rookery immediately after the disappearance of ice also being quite fat. At the same time, animals in coastal haulouts showed pathologies of the skin and hairline annually, the occurrence of which was probably associated, among other things, with abnormal molting. A large number of animals seem to leave for wintering with an incomplete molt, with their further fate being unknown. The data obtained indicate that disturbing the dormancy of molting seals on rookeries is inadmissible, since the excessive factor of disturbance (observed at the rookery at the present time) can play significantly negative roles affecting the physical condition (health) of animals.
- Subjects
GLOBAL warming; MOLTING; PINNIPEDIA; AUTUMN; PHYSICAL training &; conditioning
- Publication
Biology Bulletin, 2023, Vol 50, Issue 8, p2050
- ISSN
1062-3590
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1134/S1062359023080198