Behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage
One spotted seal (Phoca largha) and two ringed seals (Phoca hispida) were studied in experiments designed to determine which sensory modalities were employed in pilotage from one under-ice breathing hole to another. Breathing holes were drilled in the ice of a frozen freshwater pond and a lake near...
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1989
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z89-354 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z89-354 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z89-354 2024-04-28T08:10:54+00:00 Behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage Elsner, Robert Wartzok, Douglas Sonafrank, Nancy B. Kelly, Brendan P. 1989 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z89-354 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z89-354 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 67, issue 10, page 2506-2513 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 1989 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z89-354 2024-04-02T06:55:51Z One spotted seal (Phoca largha) and two ringed seals (Phoca hispida) were studied in experiments designed to determine which sensory modalities were employed in pilotage from one under-ice breathing hole to another. Breathing holes were drilled in the ice of a frozen freshwater pond and a lake near Fairbanks, Alaska. Holes were located 22–150 m apart. Tethered seals swimming without blindfolding located holes when they chanced to swim within visual detection distance. Blindfolded seals responded to acoustic signals. Tactile sensitivity of the vibrissae was used by blindfolded seals in the immediate vicinity of a hole to which they had been attracted by an acoustic cue. Responses of a juvenile ringed seal did not differ fundamentally from those of an adult of the same species nor from those of the spotted seal. The results indicate that seals relied upon a sensory hierarchy for locating breathing holes: vision, audition, and vibrissal sense. Heart rate was recorded during voluntary dives of the younger ringed seal at 2 and 3 years of age. Profound diving bradycardia was observed, suggesting that a highly developed diving response is routinely invoked by seals of relatively small body size during under-ice excursions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Phoca hispida ringed seal Alaska Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Zoology 67 10 2506 2513 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Elsner, Robert Wartzok, Douglas Sonafrank, Nancy B. Kelly, Brendan P. Behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage |
topic_facet |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
One spotted seal (Phoca largha) and two ringed seals (Phoca hispida) were studied in experiments designed to determine which sensory modalities were employed in pilotage from one under-ice breathing hole to another. Breathing holes were drilled in the ice of a frozen freshwater pond and a lake near Fairbanks, Alaska. Holes were located 22–150 m apart. Tethered seals swimming without blindfolding located holes when they chanced to swim within visual detection distance. Blindfolded seals responded to acoustic signals. Tactile sensitivity of the vibrissae was used by blindfolded seals in the immediate vicinity of a hole to which they had been attracted by an acoustic cue. Responses of a juvenile ringed seal did not differ fundamentally from those of an adult of the same species nor from those of the spotted seal. The results indicate that seals relied upon a sensory hierarchy for locating breathing holes: vision, audition, and vibrissal sense. Heart rate was recorded during voluntary dives of the younger ringed seal at 2 and 3 years of age. Profound diving bradycardia was observed, suggesting that a highly developed diving response is routinely invoked by seals of relatively small body size during under-ice excursions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Elsner, Robert Wartzok, Douglas Sonafrank, Nancy B. Kelly, Brendan P. |
author_facet |
Elsner, Robert Wartzok, Douglas Sonafrank, Nancy B. Kelly, Brendan P. |
author_sort |
Elsner, Robert |
title |
Behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage |
title_short |
Behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage |
title_full |
Behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage |
title_fullStr |
Behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage |
title_full_unstemmed |
Behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage |
title_sort |
behavioral and physiological reactions of arctic seals during under-ice pilotage |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1989 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z89-354 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z89-354 |
genre |
Arctic Phoca hispida ringed seal Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Phoca hispida ringed seal Alaska |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 67, issue 10, page 2506-2513 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z89-354 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
67 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
2506 |
op_container_end_page |
2513 |
_version_ |
1797578566665240576 |