This months will cover the island of Lanai. The island of lanai is an island of that comprises the U.S state of Hawaii. It Is approximately 7.68 nautical miles (8.837986 miles or 14.223359741 kilometers) from the closest island of Maui. It is most well known for its beautiful of Moloka’i & the maui islands, as well as its beautiful beaches that are often not very crowded. However this article isn’t to discuss the island itself, it’s to discuss the creature that lives around it. Lanai has incredibly diverse wildlife, a species known as the Hawaiian monk seal is one of the species that comprises that wildlife. The Hawaiian monk seal is an incredibly interesting creature that is quite illusive but when seen is absolutely beautiful. In this article we will discuss the life of the Hawaiian monk seal, the mating procedures, tactics, practices, & cycles of the Hawaiian monk seal, the distribution of the Hawaiian monk seal, the scientific detailings of the Hawaiian monk seal, & the migration of the Hawaiian monk seal.
With that being said, lets delve into the Hawaiian monk seal.
The Life Of The Hawaiian Monk Seal
The Hawaiian monk seal was discovered in 1968 by an unnamed archeological team. Strangely, it was not discovered alive, but in a domestic waste pile in skeletal form. Fully matured & adult males males are on average 179.9999674 to 139.99992422 kilograms (308.647 to 396.832 pounds) in weight & 2.099998848 meters (6.88976 feet or 82.67712 inches) in length. However, fully matured adult females tend to be, on average, slightly more sizeable, on average to 179.9999674 to 269.9999511 kilograms (396.832 to 595.248 pounds ) & meters (7.87402 feet or 94.48824 inches) in length. When Hawaiian monk seal pups are born, they average at 13.99999242 to 17.99999674 kilograms (30.8647 to 39.6832 pounds) & 1.000000032 meters (39.37008 inches or 3.28084 feet) in length. As they nurse for approximately six weeks, they grow considerably in this time period. Eventually they end up averaging at between 70.00018891 to 89.99998369 kilograms (154.324 or 198.416 pounds) by the time they are done with the process of weaning. Due to the production of milk, the mother will lose up to 139.9999242 kilograms (308.64699994843 pounds). The average life span of this creature can be up to 30 years however it is often much less as very few live up to this mark. This species is believed to have existed for 13 million years. They are in fact, older then certain Hawaiian islands. This means that they were there longer islands that they now roam around. They diet usually consists of common tropical fish, various squids, various octopi, eels, & many different species of crustaceans. They are not cannibalistic. They are often targeted by tiger sharks, grey reef sharks, white-tipped reef sharks, great white sharks, & Galapagos sharks. They are endangered being classified as endangered however not critically endangered. They have been on a population decline for a few decades. It is currently estimated that 1,570 Hawaiian monk seals currently alive in the wild. They are generally not aggressive towards humans unless provoked. They however are incredibly territorial & will often leave certain beaches to avoid territorial disputes. They are not social creatures & live mostly solitary lives in the ocean. The Hawaiian monk seal is part of the taxa family Phocidae, being named so for its characteristic lack of external ears & inability to rotate the hind flippers under the torso. The Hawaiian monk seal has a relatively small, flat rounded head with wide-reaching black eyes, eight pairs of teeth, & short flat muzzle with a bit of rounding, with the nostril on top of the snout & vibirisasse on each side. The nostrils are small vertical slits which close when the monk seal dives underwater to protect the nose tissue & to prevent water from breaching the nose. Additionally, their slender, torpedo-shaped body & hind flippers allow them to be very swift swimmers.
The Mating Procedures, Tactics, Practices, & Cycles Of The Hawaiian Monk Seal
Since the Hawaiian monk seals are incredibly primitive, they mate in incredibly odd ways. The monk seals will mate underwater via sexual reproduction. They are not hermaphroditic in any capacity. They give birth through live birth instead of through eggs. They are also not monogamous as they do not seek to mate for life. They usually reach sexual maturity at around 5-6 in the main Hawaiian islands & 6-7 in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. Unfortunately it is unknown when the male monk seals reach sexual maturity. However, the youngest documented female to give birth was 4 years old so it does differ quite a bit. They usually have a singular monk seal pup. Pregnancy lasts on average 11 months for the monk seal. When giving birth, the mother will haul out to the coast line. They do appear to have a specific breeding months in which the population seems to spike. These months are March & April. A monk seal pup nurses on average from its mother for approximately one month. During the nursing period, the mother stays with the pup(s) without leaving to forage for food or for really any other reason. After which the pup is left on its own to learn how to swim & forage for food, & survive its new surroundings. Unfortunately, there is no complete demographic of survival from juvenile to adulthood.
The Distribution Of The Hawaiian Monk Seal
The Hawaiian Monk Seal is entirely endemic to the Hawaiian islands. There have been no confirmed sightings of them outside of the Hawaiian islands. This is mostly due to them immigrating to the Hawaiian islands & deciding to not leave due to climate. They most likely will not ever leave the Hawaiian islands. It is believed that they migrated to the Hawaiian islands between 4–11 million years ago through a passage that existed between North & South America called the Inter-American Seaway for 175 million years. The Inter-American seaway was closed by The Isthmus of Panama approximately 3 million years ago.
The Scientific Detailings Of The Hawaiian Monk Seal
The Hawaiian monk seal is incredibly interesting & quite mysterious when it comes to its science & evolution. There are only 3 species of monk seal that have been discovered. These species are, The Mediterranean monk seal which we have covered, the Caribbean monk seal which is extinct, & the Hawaiian monk seal. Their teeth are relatively flat & rounded for chewing fish.
This is a very close replica or cast of a Hawaiian monk seal skull. They have sharp canine & much larger molars. We believe that there is a bone difference between a juvenile Hawaiian monk seal & a fully matured adult. There is no complete count of how many fossils of them that we have found that is public domain. They have flat heads & short rounded muzzle bones. They are relatively fleshy as well. They have a lot of stamina & they can stay underwater for over 20 minutes. They can dive up to 1,500 feet deep however they average at 200. It has also been proved that they have an incredibly low metabolism compared to other marine mammals. They are internationally known as Neomonachus Schauinslandi. Their phylum is known as Chordata meaning that they developed these 5 characteristics all species under the phylum of chordata develop 5 similar characteristics either In adulthood or as juveniles. Over 60,000 species are categorized under Chordata at the time of publishing. The characteristics that they develop include, a notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, endostyle or thyroid, pharyngeal Slits, & a post-anal tail. Their class is known as Mammalia. Mammalia is classified by the production of milk by the mother for their child to nurse, a neocortex which is a region of the brain, some capacity of fur or hair, & three middle ear bones. Their order is Carnivora which is a monophyletic order of plancental mammals. These mammals have all evolved in ways to specialize in eating fish. This order is the 5th largest order of mammals & has at the time of publishing, at least 279 species categorized under it. Their clade is Pinnpedia, meaning they are Pinnipeds. Pinnipeds are a heavily distributed & extremely diverse clade of semiaquatic species & marine mammals. They are part of the family known as Phocidae. This is not to be confused with Phocides a certain genus of butterflies, or Pholcidae a family of spiders. Phocidae are essentially earless seals, this means that they to not have ear flaps / coverings, & they do not have any distinguishable ear that can be seen unless you are incredibly up close or using instruments to help. Their genus is surprisingly not Monachus, but that of Neomonachus. Only 2 species were placed within the genus with those being the Caribbean Monk seal which is extinct, & the Hawaiian monk seal. The reason for their placement in the genus of Neomonachus is that they were found to be paraphyletic.
Directories / Credits
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/hawaiian-monk-seal
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Hawaiian-Monk-Seal
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/Hawaiian_monk_seal/natural_history.html
https://hawaiioceanproject.com/fun-facts-about-the-hawaiian-monk-seal/
https://www.americanoceans.org/species/hawaiian-monk-seal/#Predators
https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/animal-care/learn-about-marine-mammals/pinnipeds/hawaiian-monk-seal
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