Watch Our Animals online: Episode 22 Fur seals

They are mammals. They have a thick coat of very fine hair, long whiskers and tiny ears. They spend most of their time out in the ocean. They are excellent swimmers and love to play together. They have excellent eyesight and hearing. What do they eat? Fish, lobster and octopus! They can hold their breath underwater for up to an hour but they have to come up to the surface to breathe. They drown if they get caught in underwater fishing nets. In spring and summer they come onto rocky bits of coastline to mate and have their babies. They come to the same place each year. These places are called rookeries. Males are called bulls. They are much bigger than the females. Males fight for the right to mate with some of the females. Females are called cows. Babies are called pups. Cows give birth to 1 pup a year. Pups drink milk from their mother's nipples. Mothers recognise their pup by its smell and its special call. When the pups are about 8 months they go to sea to learn how to find their own food. Fur seals could live to be 20 years old.

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