Youth For Arctic Nature
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Ringed seal
Pusa hispida

Vulnerability: least concern
Invasive: no
Identification: difficult
Monitoring: medium
What is it?
The ringed seal gets its name from the patterns on its back: small dark spots surrounded by light grey rings. Its fur is silver-grey to brownish, with a belly that is lighter than its back. It is the smallest of the Nordic seals, measuring 1.1 to 1.6 m.

It is very difficult to distinguish males from females. In spring, however, males can be recognized by their darker faces. This is due to oily male secretions.

During their first two months, the young have a white coat. ​The ring pattern appears as they get older. 
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Where is it?
The ability of Ringed seals to maintain breathing holes in thick ice allows them to have a wide distribution in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. They are therefore found throughout the Arctic basin as well as in adjacent seas such as the Baltic Sea. In addition to the Arctic Ringed Seal subspecies (Pusa hispida hispida), four other subspecies are found in the Okhotsk and Bering Seas and in lakes Ladoga (Russia) and Saimaa (Finland).

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Interesting facts
  • The isolation of two populations of ringed seals in the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal (Russia) has led to the differentiation of two distinct species: Pusa caspica and Pusa sibirica.
  • The fact that a species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN does not mean that it is not locally threatened: the subspecies Pusa hispida ladogensis (Ladoga Seal) is classified as Vulnerable and the subspecies Pusa hispida saimensis (Saimaa Seal) is classified as Endangered.

Pictures

  • Cover picture: "Ringed seal" by dracophylla is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
  • Presentation picture: "Ring Seal" by RayMuzyka is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

References

  • ​Lowry, L. 2016. Pusa hispida. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T41672A45231341. Downloaded on 01 October 2021.
  • Icelandic Seal Center: https://selasetur.is/en/seals/about-icelandic-seals/ringed-seal/
  • Norvegian Polar Institute: https://www.npolar.no/en/species/ringed-seal/
  • Visit Greenland: https://visitgreenland.com/wildlife-in-greenland/seals/
  • Marine Finland: https://www.marinefinland.fi/en-US/Nature_and_how_it_changes/Species/Marine_mammals/Seals
  • B. P. Kelly, J. L. Bengtson, P. L. Boveng, M. F. Cameron, S. P. Dahle, J. K. Jansen, E. A. Logerwell, J. E. Overland, C. L. Sabine, G. T. Waring, and J. M. Wilder 2010. Status review of the ringed seal (Phoca hispida). U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-212, 250 p. 
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              The Icelandic Climate Fund (2020-2021)

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The Nordic Cooperation (2021-2023)           

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  • Home
  • Goals
  • Local Nature
    • Flora and Funga >
      • Flowering plants >
        • Arctic poppy
        • Cow parsley
        • Mountain avens
        • Nootka lupin
        • Purple saxifrage
      • Non-flowering vascular plants
      • Non-vascular plants
      • Algae
      • Fungi >
        • Reindeer lichen
    • Land mammals >
      • Carnivores >
        • American mink
        • Arctic fox
        • Red fox
      • Herbivores >
        • Reindeer
        • Muskox
      • Insectivores
    • Marine mammals >
      • Seals and Bears >
        • Harbor seal
        • Polar bear
        • Ringed seal
      • Whales and Dolphins >
        • Humpback whale
        • Minke whale
        • Orca
    • Birds >
      • Birds of prey >
        • Gyrfalcon
        • Snowy owl
        • White-tailed eagle
      • Land birds >
        • Rock ptarmigan
        • Rock pigeon
        • Eurasian three-toed woodpecker
      • Passerines >
        • Common raven
        • European starling
        • Snow bunting
      • Sea birds >
        • Atlantic puffin
        • Great cormorant
        • Northern fulmar
      • Seagulls >
        • Black-legged kittiwake
        • Arctic tern
        • Arctic skua
      • Waders >
        • Eurasian oystercatcher
        • Common ringed plover
        • Purple sandpiper
      • Water birds >
        • Red-throated diver
        • Barnacle goose
        • Common eider
  • Activities
    • Beach treasure hunts
    • Ice fishing
    • Seal monitoring
    • Shore ecosystem walk
  • News
  • Contact us