Click on the pictures to enlarge
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| Año
Nuevo State Park, CA, USA |
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Año Nuevo is a breading ground for elephant
seals. These animals are incredibly big, and their breeding
habits are just amazing. In early December, the male
stake out their territories, and shortly after the females
arrive, pick a male and give birth to one pup. They
don't leave the beach and starve for the next weeks. |
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The typical group with one male, surrounded by females
with their pups. Further away are the unlucky males
waiting for their chance to mate.
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This pup was not happy at all about our visit. |
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| This pup is
making friends with a bird (you cannot see the bird
on the thumbnail, you have to click on it). The bird
seemed to be interested in getting stuff out of the
pup's mouth, but there was only milk and some foam.
In the background a male, for size comparison. |
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It's lunch time. The milk contains 50%
fat. The pup is fed for 4 weeks, then has to live on
it for another 10 weeks. The mother leaves the beach
after the first 4 weeks, probably almost starved to
death. |
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A male
making some announcement. The male spend a few months
ashore without eating anything. |
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| ©
1998 © 1999 |
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