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Grey seal
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==Reproduction== [[File:GreySealMating.jpg|thumb|Cow (l) and bull (r) grey seals mating, [[Donna Nook]], Lincolnshire, U.K.]] Grey seals are capital breeders; they forage to build up stored blubber, which is utilised when they are breeding and weaning their pups, as they do not forage for food at this time. They give birth to a single pup every year, with females' reproductive years beginning as early as 4 years old and extending up to 30 years of age. All parental care is provided by the female. During breeding, males do not provide parental care but they defend females against other males for mating.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bubac|first1=Christine M.|last2=Coltman|first2=David W.|last3=Don Bowen|first3=W.|last4=Lidgard|first4=Damian C.|last5=Lang|first5=Shelley L. C.|last6=den Heyer|first6=Cornelia E.|date=June 2018|title=Repeatability and reproductive consequences of boldness in female gray seals|journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology|volume=72|issue=6|page=100 |doi=10.1007/s00265-018-2515-5|bibcode=2018BEcoS..72..100B |s2cid=46975859|issn=0340-5443}}</ref> The pups are born at around the mass of 14 kg.<ref name="BBC Earth 2014">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141009-and-they-called-it-pupping-love|title=Autumn spectacle: grey seal colonies|date=10 October 2014|publisher=BBC Earth|access-date=3 January 2015}}</ref> They are born in autumn (September to December) in the eastern Atlantic and in winter (January to February) in the west, with a dense, soft silky white fur; at first small, they rapidly fatten up on their mothers' extremely fat-rich milk. The milk can consist of up to 60% fat.<ref name="BBC Earth 2014" /> Grey seal pups are precocial, with mothers returning to the sea to forage once pups are weaned. Pups also undergo a post-weaning fast before leaving the land and learning to swim.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bowen|first1=William D.|last2=Heyer|first2=Cornelia E. den|last3=McMillan|first3=Jim I.|last4=Iverson|first4=Sara J.|date=2015-04-01|title=Offspring size at weaning affects survival to recruitment and reproductive performance of primiparous gray seals| journal=Ecology and Evolution|language=en|volume=5|issue=7|pages=1412β1424|doi=10.1002/ece3.1450|issn=2045-7758|pmc=4395171|pmid=25897381|bibcode=2015EcoEv...5.1412B }}</ref> Within a month or so they shed the pup fur, grow dense waterproof adult fur, and leave for the sea to learn to fish for themselves. In recent years, the number of grey seals has been on the rise in the west and the U.S.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bidggod |first1=Jess |date=16 August 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/17/us/thriving-in-cape-cods-waters-gray-seals-draw-fans-and-foes.html |title=Thriving in Cape Cod's Waters, Gray Seals Draw Fans and Foes |work=The New York Times}}</ref> and [[Canada]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/plan-to-cull-70-000-grey-seals-gets-senate-panel-s-approval-1.1221876 |title=Plan to cull 70,000 grey seals gets Senate panel's approval |location=Newfoundland & Labrador |work=CBC News |date=23 October 2012}}</ref> there have been calls for a seal cull. [[File:Juvenile Grey Seal.jpg|thumb|Seal pup a few days after birth]] Seal pup first-year survival rates are estimated to vary from 80 to 85%<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1111/j.1365-2656.2001.00468.x|title = Factors affecting first-year survival in grey seals and their implications for life history strategy| journal=Journal of Animal Ecology| volume=70| pages=138β149|year = 2008|last1 = Ailsa j|first1 = Hall| last2=Bernie j| first2=Mcconnell| last3=Richard j| first3=Barker| doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229788805 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1984.tb06042.x|title=Mortality and morbidity in Grey seal pups (Halichoerus grypus). Studies on its causes, effects on the environment, the nature and sources of infectious agents, and the immunological status of pups |year=1984 |last1=Baker |first1=J. R. |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=203 |pages=23β48 }}</ref> to below 50%<ref name="friendsofhorseyseals.co.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://www.friendsofhorseyseals.co.uk/|title=Homepage|website=Friends of Horsey Seals|accessdate=19 March 2021}}</ref> depending on location and conditions. Starvation, due to difficulties in learning to feed, appears to be the main cause of pup death.<ref name="friendsofhorseyseals.co.uk"/> Male grey seals engage in aggressive sexual behaviour, which can lead to severe injuries and even death for the female. Sometimes they will also target females from other seal species.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Susan C. |title=Attempted Mating between a Male Grey Seal and Female Harbor Seals |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |date=1975 |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=531β534|doi=10.2307/1379389 |jstor=1379389 }}</ref> In the [[North Sea]], multiple cases were recorded of pregnant harbour seals dying as a result of [[forced copulation]] with male grey seals.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rohner |first1=Simon |title=Male grey seal commits fatal sexual interaction with adult female harbour seals in the German Wadden Sea |journal=Scientific Reports |date=2020 |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=13679 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-69986-w |pmid=32792537 |pmc=7426965 }}</ref>
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