Caribbean monk seals were found in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the western Atlantic Ocean. They probably preferred to haul out at low sandy beaches above high tide on isolated and secluded atolls and islands, but occasionally would visit the mainland coasts and deeper waters offshore. Caribbean monk seals were brownish or grayish in color with the underside lighter than the dorsal region. The skin color of the adults used to be darker than the younger ones. Few specimens had a greenish appearance because of algae growing on their pelage. By Richard King
Too valuable to lose Extinct relative reveals rarity of last two remaining monk seal species
On his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus and his crew encountered many marine inhabitants of the Caribbean including " sea wolves "—known today as Caribbean monk seals (. The Caribbean monk seal is the only pinniped species which has become extinct in modern times. The reason for the extinction would seem to be quite obvious: they were mindlessly slaughtered in large numbers by European hunters, by plantation settlers and even by so-called scientists from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The Caribbean monk seal ( Neomonachus tropicalis ), also known as the West Indian seal or sea wolf, was a species of seal native to the Caribbean which is now believed to be extinct. The main natural predators of Caribbean monk seals were large sharks, such as great whites and tiger sharks, and possibly transient orcas (though killer whales are. The Hawaiian monk seal experienced population drops in the 19th century and during World War II, and the Caribbean monk seal was exploited since the 1500s until the 1850s, when populations were too low to hunt commercially.
Fun Caribbean Monk Seal Facts For Kids Kidadl
description In monk seal The Caribbean, or West Indian, monk seal ( M. tropicalis) was thought to be extinct by the early 1970s. The surviving species, both in danger of extinction, are the Mediterranean monk seal ( M. monachus) and the Hawaiian, or Laysan, monk seal ( M. schauinslandi ). The seals are threatened… Read More The Caribbean monk seal ( Monachus tropicalis ), the only seal species native to the gulf of Mexico, was declared extinct by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 1994 and the US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration in 2008, with the last confirmed sighting in 1952. Monk seals have been hunted extensively for fur, oil, and meat, and all three species are listed as endangered in the Red Data Book. The Caribbean, or West Indian, monk seal (M. tropicalis) was thought to be extinct by the early 1970s.The surviving species, both in danger of extinction, are the Mediterranean monk seal (M. monachus) and the Hawaiian, or Laysan, monk seal (M. schauinslandi). The genus Monachus previously included three geographically widely separated species: the Mediterranean Monk Seal, Monachus monachus; the Caribbean Monk Seal, Monachus tropicalis; and the Hawaiian Monk Seal, Monachus schauinslandi (Rice 1998).
Monk Seal Facts, History, Useful Information and Amazing Pictures
With the Caribbean species now extinct, the Hawaiian monk seal is the last surviving species of the genus Neomonachus, as the Mediterranean species is in its genus, Monachus. Both species are listed as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Caribbean monk seals occupied a marine environment, with rocky or sandy coastline for shelter and breeding areas. Unconfirmed sightings of M. tropicalis by divers usually take place underwater. This suggests they are rarely seen at the surface, or when they are, they are rarely recognized.
The Caribbean monk seal, also known as the West Indian monk seal, was a medium-sized seal. The adults were greyish-brown (females were slightly darker), with a yellowish colour underneath and on the muzzle. The body length was about 79-94 in (2.0-2.4 m) and they weighed about 350 lb (160 kg). Males were slightly larger than females. The Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis), the only seal species native to Central America, was declared extinct in 2008, with the last confirmed sighting in 1952. This species historically had a broad range throughout the gulf of Mexico. This article discusses the history of Western science on the monk seal, from its first recorded.
Animals of the world Caribbean monk seal
Now extinct, the Caribbean monk seal was the only seal native to the Gulf of Mexico. They were tropically distributed but limited to the Gulf of Mexico coast, Yucatan Peninsula, western Caribbean Sea, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Bahamas, and the Florida Keys. Records from Texas include one sighting in 1932 and several instances of. June 9, 2008 Source: National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration Summary: After a five year review, NOAA's Fisheries Service has determined that the Caribbean monk seal, which has not been.
