Baikal Seal
Pusa sibirica
Conservation Status
Least ConcernMammalia · Carnivora · Phocidae
About
The Baikal seal, also known as Lake Baikal seal or Baikal nerpa, is a species of earless seal endemic to Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. The Baikal seal is one of the smallest earless/true seals, and one of the few exclusively freshwater pinniped species. The related Caspian seal inhabits another lake, albeit being saltwater, the Caspian Sea. Both species are closely related to the ringed seal, which inhabits the Arctic Ocean.
Fun Fact
The Baikal seal is one of the smallest earless/true seals, and one of the few exclusively freshwater pinniped species.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Lives only in the waters of Lake Baikal; they are endemic there.
Diet
Eat more than half of the annually produced biomass of golomyanka, some 64,000 tons.
Lifespan
50 years
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance