CROATIAN FAUNA 2011 - MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL

Photographs used to create the stamp Mediterranean Monk Seal originate from the archive “Group -Mediterranean Monk Seal“ of the Association for Investigation and Protection of Nature and were made by the photograph Gianni Pecchiaro. Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779) belongs to the order of fin-footed animals (Pinnipedia), family of earless seals (Phocidae), genus of monk seals (Monachus). Today it lives in small colonies in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, along the coastline of Mauritania – Morocco. Total population consists of about 350 single monk seals, living in small isolated colonies of 5 to 7 monk seals, the biology of which is not well known yet. For its sensitiveness, rarity and critical status it is among the ten most endangered mammals in the world. It dwells in areas where it gives birth and in caves with pebble beaches or stone slabs. Once there lived in the Adriatic a population of 60 specimens, and today this number has been reduced to 20 specimens. Local Croatian names for Mediterranean monk seal are morski čovik (man of the sea) medvid (bear) and morski fratar (sea monk). Mediterranean Monk Seal was for the first time scientifically described in 1779 on the basis of the carcass found near Osor, at the island of Cres. Mediterranean monk seal is adapted to living in sea. It has no auricles, it can not turn rear fins forwards; they are always stretched behind, so that it always moves clumsy on land, but thanks to its hydrodynamic form they move very masterly and fast in the water. Mediterranean monk seal has got big round eyes and 30 pointed teeth. On front fins it has got very well developed claws, while they considerably smaller on back fins. In contrast to the younglings a gown up Mediterranean monk seal has got thick, short and stiff fur of greyish and brownish colour. Around its wide nostrils and above the eye there are big, lighter and stiff feeling whiskers. Mediterranean Monk Seal is two to three meters long and can weight up to 400 kg, so that it is the biggest animal in the family of seals. In outer look there is no difference between the sexes. A female is mature at the age of five and a male at the age of 7 years; they mate and feed only in water. Gestation period is 10 to 11 months, so that every second year a female gives birth to one youngling 60 to 80 cm long , weighting 40 to 60 kg. The youngling sucks 10 to 18 weeks. In first days after the birth the youngling is constantly on dry land and fully dependent on his mother. Mediterranean monk seal can live up to 40 years feeds on cephalopods, crabs and molluscs. It eats 10 to 12 kg of food daily. Mediterranean monk seal uses adequate submarine caves to raise her younglings and to rest, undisturbed by people. Systematic investigation of the habitat of the Adriatic open-sea islands and their photographing proved that the Mediterranean monk seals live there. The reporting analyses show that most often they are spotted in spring and autumn, and rarely in summer and winter months. Also the method of photo identification (videos and photographs) of the Mediterranean monk seal was used and on the basis of these results it is assumed that in the Adriatic there live more specimens (male, female and youngling). Mediterranean monk seal has been protected in Adriatic since 1935 by the “Dalmatian Decree“ and on the basis of the Law on Nature Protection a fine of 100 thousand Croatian kuna is foreseen for disturbing and killing them. Jasna Antolović