THE LIFE OF THE OLDEST MEDITERRANEAN, .

By

Ali Cemal GÜCÜ, Associate Professor

Middle East Technical UniversityInstitute of Marine Sciences

Mersin TURKEY

 

Cilician coastCilician coastLand of piratesLand of pirates

  Approach and the MethodsApproach and the Methods

Interview and Questionnaire SurveysInterview and Questionnaire Surveys

Monk Seal observationMonk Seal observation

Infrared Monitoring in cavesInfrared Monitoring in caves

Cave SurveyCave Survey

Habitat SurveyHabitat Survey

CategoryCategory External Features External Features

Black Adult MaleBlack Adult Male Black pelage; belly with a white patch. (BAM)(BAM) Back and neck with white scars

Large Grey SealLarge Grey Seal Pelage is usually dorsally dark grey and (LGS)(LGS) light below. Back interrupted by white

scars, frequently with a dorsal patch

Medium Grey SealMedium Grey Seal Pelage is usually dorsally dark grey and (MGS)(MGS) light below. Back interrupted by white

scars, frequently with no patch

Identification of the seals Identification of the seals (After Samaranch and Gonzales, 2000)

CategoryCategory External Features External Features

Black Adult MaleBlack Adult Male Black pelage; belly with a white patch. (BAM)(BAM) Back and neck with white scars

Large Grey SealLarge Grey Seal Pelage is usually dorsally dark grey and (LGS)(LGS) light below. Back interrupted by white

scars, frequently with a dorsal patch

Medium Grey SealMedium Grey Seal Pelage is usually dorsally dark grey and (MGS)(MGS) light below. Back interrupted by white

scars, frequently with no patch

JuvenileJuvenile Pelage is usually dorsally brown grey and (J)(J) light below. Body with few scars or

without them

PupPup Black pelage, belly with a white patch. Body (P)(P)with no scars. Body fur forming pleats in the

first 10 days.

YoungsterYoungster Pelage is usually dorsally light grey and (Y)(Y) light below. Body with no scars. Fatty

appearance

Identification of the seals Identification of the seals (After Samaranch and Gonzales, 2000)

Identification of the pupsIdentification of the pups(After Samaranch and Gonzales, 2000)

Zayıf –yeni doğmuş (0-10 günlük)Thin-newly born / 0-10 days old Thin-newly born / 0-10 days old (Dendrinos et al., 2000)

Dark colored lanugo fur (long wooly coat~2 cm), texture is in clumps, wet appearance even when dry.

Belly patch yellowish-orange in coloration (amniotic fluids). Body skinny, skeletal features (skull, neck, scapula-humerus joint, femur-tibia/fibula joint) visible.

Umbilical cord still attached or umbilicus still unhealed having pinkish coloration.

Zayıf –yeni doğmuş (0-10 günlük)Spindle-Wooly coat / 10Spindle-Wooly coat / 10-30-30 days old days old (Dendrinos et al., 2000)

Dark grey to black lanugo fur, texture wooly, even and fluffy when dry. Even and uniform appearance even when wet

Belly patch has the same shape but coloration becomes yellowish white. Body clearly spindle shaped and well rounded, skeletal structures no longer visible.

Umbilical cord dropped and the umbilicus is healed.

Zayıf –yeni doğmuş (0-10 günlük)Spindle – Patchy coat / Spindle – Patchy coat / 330-0-550 days old0 days old (Dendrinos et al., 2000)

Undergoing their fur molt. The appearance of the fur is very irregular and patchy, a part of the body covered by the lanugo while others replaced by the new fur (shorter in length and lighter in coloration). Body is still spindle shaped, well rounded, the umbilicus is completely healed.