Editing Caspian seal (section)

===Reproduction===
Male and female Caspian seals are monogamous. Among breeding seals, a lack of fighting for a mate seems prevalent. In late autumn, Caspian seals travel to the northern part of the Caspian Sea where the water is shallow and frozen to give birth in secluded areas on ice sheets after a gestation period of 11 months. Normally, pregnancy rates are  40 to 70%, but are currently at an all-time low of 30%. In late January to early February, female seals give birth to one pup each. Similar to other ringed seals, these pups are born with white [[pelage]]s and weigh about {{cvt|5|kg}}. Caspian seals employ a [[capital breeding]] lactation strategy, where the mother will fast while nursing the pup, sometimes with a small amount of supplemental feeding. Pups are weaned after a few weeks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Susan C. |last2=Dolgova |first2=Evgeniya |last3=Trukhanova |first3=Irina |last4=Dmitrieva |first4=Lilia |last5=Crawford |first5=Imogen |last6=Baimukanov |first6=Mirgaliy |last7=Goodman |first7=Simon J. |date=2016-11-15 |title=Breeding behavior and pup development of the Caspian seal,''Pusa caspica'' |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |pages=gyw176 |doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyw176 |issn=0022-2372|doi-access=free }}</ref> The pups' white coats are [[molt]]ed at around three weeks to a month. Male pups become sexually mature after six to seven years, whereas female pups sexually mature after five to seven years. Newborn pups are not fully grown until 8 to 10 years after they are born.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Easley-Appleyard |first1=B. |title=Pusa Caspica Caspian Seal|journal=Animal Diversity Web |date=2006 |url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pusa_caspica/#757c91a32120facf8ff6bc9e83c87ac3|access-date=23 October 2014}}</ref> Breeding begins a few weeks after the birth of last year's pup around late February to mid March. Breeding usually occurs after weaning of a newborn pup, but can begin while the pup is still nursing. Caspian seals migrate back to the southern part of the Caspian Sea after the breeding season and molting in late April because the north begins to warm with constant ice melting. The southern region of the Caspian Sea has deep, colder waters where the seals spend the summer months.<ref>{{cite journal|editor1-last=Hogan|editor1-first=Michael C.|title=Caspian Seal|journal=The Encyclopedia of Earth|date= 2010 |url=http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150951/|access-date=24 October 2014}}</ref>