Caribbean Monk Seal
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| Caribbean Monk Seal | ||||||||||||||||
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| Monachus tropicalis (Gray, 1850) |
The Caribbean Monk Seal or West Indian Monk Seal (Monachus tropicalis), is an extinct species of seal. It is the only seal ever known to be native to the Caribbean sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The last verified recorded sighting occurred in 1952 at Serranilla Bank.[1] On June 6, 2008, after five years of futile efforts to find or confirm sightings of any Caribbean monk seals, the U.S. government announced that the species is officially extinct and the only seal to vanish due to human causes.[2]
A collection of Caribbean Monk Seal bones can be found at the Tropical Crane Point Hammock Museum in Key Vaca.
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[edit] Physical Appearance
The Caribbean Monk Seal was a relatively large seal (6-9 feet) with rolls of fat around its neck and brown pelage that faded to a yellow-white color on the stomach. The soles and palms were naked, with the nails on the anterior digits well developed. The males reached a length of about 3.25 meters and weighed up to 2000 kilograms. Displaying sexual dimorphism, the females of this species were generally smaller than males.
[edit] Behavior and ecology
These pinnipeds lived in marine environment, spending much of their time in the water and occupying rocky and sandy coastlines for shelter and breeding. Their diet included lobsters, octopus, and reef fish.
Like other true seals, the Caribbean Monk Seal was sluggish on land. Its lack of fear for man and an unaggressive and curious nature also contributed to its demise.
[edit] Reproduction and longevity
Very little is known about the reproduction behavior and longevity of this animal. Live pups were likely born in early December because several females killed in the Yucatan during this time of the year had well-developed fetuses. It is believed that this animal's average lifespan was approximately 20 years.
[edit] History
During his 1494 voyage, Christopher Columbus described the Caribbean Monk Seal as a "sea-wolf." During that voyage, eight seals were killed for their meat. The region was soon colonized, and whatever habitat this species had was lost. People also began exploiting it commercially for its oil, and less frequently, for its meat. It went extinct in the 1950's from lack of food.
[edit] Sightings
In the United States, the last recorded sighting of this marine mammal occurred in 1932 off the Texas coast. The very last reliable records of this species are of a small colony at Serranilla Bank between Honduras and Jamaica in 1952.[1]
Unconfirmed sightings of Caribbean Monk Seals by local fishermen and divers are relatively common in Haiti and Jamaica, but two recent scientific expeditions failed to find any sign of this animal. It is possible that the mammal still exists, but some biologists strongly believe that the sightings are of wandering Hooded Seals, which have been positively identified on archipelagos such as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
More recently a sighting in Southern Florida may have uncovered a small group of these seals.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Kovacs, K. (2008). Monachus tropicalis. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 6 January 2009.
- ^ "It's official: Caribbean monk seal is extinct", MSNBC.com 6 June, 2008
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Fact files: Caribbean Monk Seal, Monachus tropicalis
- The Extinction Website - Species Info - Monachus tropicalis
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