Hawaiian monk seal
| Hawaiian monk seal | |
|---|---|
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| Hawaiian monk seal at Kaʻula | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Clade: | Pinnipedia |
| Family: | Phocidae |
| Genus: | Neomonachus |
| Species: | N. schauinslandi |
| Binomial name | |
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Neomonachus schauinslandi (Matschie, 1905) |
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| Hawaiian monk seal range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Monachus schauinslandi |
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Monachus schauinslandi
Matschie, 1905
The Hawaiian monk seal, Neomonachus schauinslandi (formerly Monachus schauinslandi), is an endangered species of earless seal in the family Phocidae that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of two remaining monk seal species; the other is the Mediterranean monk seal. A third species, the Caribbean monk seal, is extinct.
The Hawaiian monk seal is the only seal native to Hawaii, and, along with the Hawaiian hoary bat, is one of only two mammals endemic to the islands.
These monk seals are a conservation reliant endangered species. The small population of about 1,400 individuals is threatened by human encroachment, very low levels of genetic variation, entanglement in fishing nets, marine debris, disease, and past commercial hunting for skins. There are many methods of conservation biology when it comes to endangered species; translocation, captive care, habitat cleanup, and educating the public about the Hawaiian monk seal are some of the methods that can be employed.
Known to native Hawaiians as ʻIlio-holo-i-ka-uaua, or "dog that runs in rough water", its scientific name is from Hugo Schauinsland, a German scientist who discovered a skull on Laysan Island in 1899. Its common name comes from short hairs on its head, said to resemble a monk. The Hawaiian monk seals are adopted to be Hawaii's state mammal.
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Wikipedia