Latin name:
Monachinae-Monachus M.monachus
Description:
Adult Mediterranean monk seals are robust and have short front flippers and a small, wide, flat head. They are around 2.8 m in length and weigh up to 250 to 400 kg. Their muzzle is also wide and flat. Their colouring varies among the different small groups living in the Mediterranean Sea and along the Northwest African coast. They usually have dark brown backs with a paler belly. Some are completely black or a light silvery colour with variegated spots.
Pups:
Pups have a blackish, woolly coat with a yellow spot on their bellies. They are born throughout the year, but mostly in late summer or early autumn.
Status:
There are only a couple of hundred Mediterranean monk seals left. Ever increasing human disruption, environmental pollution and fishing have contributed to the almost total annihilation of this species.
Range:
