Juan Fernandez Fur Seal
Papercraft kit : The Fernandez fur seal, a slender body.
Rare Animals of the World
The Fernandez fur seal is a very rare animal found only on the islands off the Chilean coast in South America. This slender species of the seal family is classified as “Least Concern [LC]” in the Red List.
The adorable eyes and slim body of the animal in the Southern Sea are captured on craft paper. Download and enjoy the paper craft of the Fernandez fur seal.
Download - Parts sheet & InstructionsThis data was released in November, 2003.
Juan Fernandez Fur Seal - Animal Guide
- Juan Fernandez Fur Seal - Family Otariidae
- Arctocephalus philippii
- Length: 150 - 200 cm (male), 140 cm (female) / Mass: 140 kg (male), 40 kg (female)
- 2016 Edition of the RED LIST categories : Least Concern [LC]
The Fernandez Fur Seal is relatively slim compared to other stocky fur seal species. The elongated snout of the fur seal species makes its face look oval shaped. The fur is dark brown, and adult males have a gray mane running from the head to the shoulder.
The fur seal’s name originated from the Juan Fernandez Islands, where this unique species was rediscovered in the 17th centuries.
The island is also well known because of “The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,” written by a British novelist Daniel Defoe.
Flocks of Fernandez fur seals are found in caves and cliffs facing the ocean and rocky shorelines. It is believed that they migrate in the ocean current within a small range from winter to spring. They mainly feed on fish, squid, and sometimes lobsters. Mating occurs in November, and females give birth to pups from the end of November to the beginning of December.
Habitat
The home to the Fernandez fur seal, Juan Fernandez Islands are located approximately 700 km off the Chilean coast in South America. A part of the archipelago is now named “Robinson Crusoe Island” and tourists who visit here can see the Fernandez fur seal there.
William Dampia, who visited the Juan Fernandez Islands in 1683, wrote, “the island was covered with seals, whether it is in the gulf or on the rocks.” We can only imagine millions of fur seals were inhabited the islands back then. Later on, however, large scale exploitation for fur began. In a span of about 130 years, about 4 million seals were captured, and the species were thought to be extinct at the end of the 19th century. In 1965, 200 Fernandez fur seals were rediscovered; the population is now about 4000, thanks to conservation programs.
About Red List
The Red List is the material prepared by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) classifying various threatened wild animals of the world and reporting their present habitat status.
The List evaluates the extinction risk level of each individual species from a biological viewpoint, but it possesses no legal power to enforce regulations concerning threatened species. The Red List is broadly employed as fundamental information in advancing the preservation of threatened wild animals.
Referring to the original Red List, the Environment Agency of Japan has compiled the Japanese edition of the List listing threatened taxa inhabiting Japan.
| Extinct | EX | No known individuals remaining. |
|---|---|---|
| Extinct in the Wild | EW | Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range. |
| Critically Endangered | CR | Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Endangered | EN | High risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Vulnerable | VU | High risk of endangerment in the wild. |
| Near Threatened | NT | Likely to become endangered in the near future. |
| Least Concern | LC | Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at-risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category. |
| Data Deficient | DD | Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction. |
