Hooded Seal Skull Replica

$272.00

The generic name Cystophora means “bladder-bearer” in Greek, from the species’ inflatable bladder septum on the head of the adult male. This bladder hangs between the eyes and down over the upper lip in the deflated state.

Description

Hooded Seal Skull Replica measures 10 inches. Hooded Seal Skull Replica is museum quality Polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.

The Hooded seal, Bladder Nosed Seal or Cystophora cristata is a large phocid found only in the central and western North Atlantic, ranging from Svalbard in the east to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the west.

The hooded seals or Cystophora cristata are typically silver-grey or white in Color, with black spots that vary in size covering most of the body. Hooded seal pups are known as “blue-backs” because their coats are blue-grey on the back with whitish bellies, though this coat is shed after 14 months of age when the pups molt.

The diet of the Hooded seal or Cystophora cristata is composed primarily of krill, and fish, including Atlantic Argentine, Capelin, Greenland halibut, cod, herring, and Redfish. They also are known to eat squid, sea stars, and mussels. Capelin is considered a more common choice of sustenance during the winter season. Their diet is considered to be rich in lipids and fatty acids.

Hooded seal or Cystophora cristata tend to feed in relatively deep waters ranging from 330 to 1,970 feet, and dive from 5 to 25 minute duration’s. Diving is rather continuous, with approximately 90 percent of their time spent submerged during the day and night.

The Hooded seal or Cystophora cristata is known for its uniquely elastic nasal cavity located at the top of its head, also known as the hood. Only males possess this display-worthy nasal sac, which they begin to develop around the age of four.

The hood begins to inflate as the seal makes its initial breath prior to going underwater. It then begins to repetitively deflate and inflate as the seal is swimming. The purpose of this happening is for acoustic signaling, meaning that it occurs when the seal feels threatened and attempts to ward off hostile species when competing for resources such as food and shelter.

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Additional information

Weight 6 lbs
Dimensions 10 in
Hooded Seal Facts

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Clade: Pinnipedia
Family: Phocidae
Subfamily: Phocinae
Genus: Cystophora
Species: C. cristata
Binomial name: Cystophora cristata
Conservation status: Vulnerable