Translation 2783

..... 149
The :i.'ange apparently illcludes the entire drift--ice belt and
the fast-ice Lone of the Antar^c'tic. 'filrou-nout its :,-ange t11is seal
is v,..ry seldom seerl, even in the most thoa^our;•}lly inves-tiL,ca.'ted areas
of 1;i-le Atlantic and Indian Ocean sectors of the Antarctic. Large
concentrations are never seei-i. Usually sin^;•le i,aclividu.c.lS or small
.gr.ott.ps are observed, lyirl;g on ice-floes at til'.• edge of fast ice or
in the drift--icc: belt.
The hi.olo,;â.cn:l. ,)cT':lods of' the clllrlurcl :lii'e: c-.clc have been
var,y lS.ttlc ;stuc7l•ed. A 1'c;w ].11diviCiLIF.Il ftïna].c:ti, have been obsr:l:veci
wi'Lïl r1C'ti•T--born pups. he period of mass parturition has not been dis--•
covered, but t+rere are reports of feF,ie,les beinl.; fotlnd t'rit:l new-born
pups at the beginning of ï?ecember. It is possible tilaL trlt: pups are
'uorn in October or. 11:overaber. -The duration of the 1•.:ctation pez'ioa
i s also unknown. ï' ost oi the fe_,lales at tain sexual ïrlatlll i'tjr ti111en 101
-tilrc.,e or four years old, and the ;ao,les somewhat la.ter.
1:oultillg Ross s see.ls have been observed on tllc ice in Jarlua.ry
and l^ebruwry, at t'rhicl^l ti1;1e they do not move about n)uch. ;it'rl
them, apparently, as wit;l other Antarctic t'hocidae, L11e moulting
period is ra•tiler prolonged.
The diet of 1iC1ss1S sec'i.].5 also is t.6li.:ut>t, u`i1C11o4Jn. it is believed
that L.l,e:ir food consists ::lainly of slr:all crustaceans, altliouch
fishes and squids also have been found in their storilachs. ^;xaminatioll
of tlre stol;lach contents of a feW Ross 's seals has sizorrn. that their
diot is fairly vs.ried. Slllal.l crustaceans il7c].uded t^u^)llau^si.a, suuerba,;
there Were also .f.roln 15 to 17 sq).l:ld.s up to 20 cul lon;•, romain,:; of
fishes of the families l.tystophid.ae and i'sat'rlydraconidae, as well as
up to 1.5 kg of brown algo.e.
The duration of life of the;-..e seals is e:sti.lïlai;eci to 1,e more
than 12,years. :r"otentl.al natural enemies ::a,y be killer whales and
leor,a:r:d seals. /1.p^•a2.'c?Iltly seine of tue pup., a.l:c lcillcd wller., ice-floes
scuce ze torr;e l;i er.. .The ile:lr.iintilic :E'auna has not be^il Ailly illvesti--
t.,ated. ;evc:lr ,le:l.minti) species have OC:ell rccor^^^^u.
Ubs)lval.i.ol:a mZC3e: by various !llitclx'ctic crilc:(iitiolïs .i..,dicatu
Lt?at Ross s si'.Cl.ltil al:'e t; I(, :lea,ùt ElbilnClc;lllt :>eal Ci'.,Cc].eFi. 'I11lél.t conc:l.u-^
C].01, is ÛelGokl on t11Q j^,i,Lÿi: ver^r rare Si(;1ltilir^:1 of i.1:et.;e éllliLa.L.l:9 on
lce-.t•]:oG'G, wflerl) t,ley 1'11•0 S:,'Lnerall`f seen l'ij:ra)1.' :;11.(r•.l^ or 111 :S,;1Fi11
("r0 111);:r. ..one lo'1.'e.1L:ll 7.1;1rC•:i'tJ. 's II(l.ve (:',)'t.l.Cl:!.l.efÎ 1,.... F'lp .1.'i)}:1GILl.'e
2111'ïlI)C:1' of L l l c ? „r? :3c:a.7.r;; i.l! LI1.' r1n'tril'ct1.c at J';:'ul,l ?.() , G 0 0 tc, 50 , UA'IU. J II