Hawaiian Monk Seal — Kenyon and Rice 
Only one large female that could have been 
pregnant was seen. This indicates to us that 
the pupping season was virtually complete at 
Kure by June 5. The possibility exists that 
other pregnant females were at sea. 
It is interesting to note that the pupping 
seasons of other monk seals differ from that 
of the Hawaiian seal. The Mediterranean spe- 
cies is said to pup during September and 
October (King, 1956) and the Caribbean 
species in early December (Ward, 1887). 
Birth 
The four pups born alive at Midway were 
born either at night or early in the morning. 
New pups were found in the morning where 
none had been seen the night before. On 
Kure, a newly born pup was found on the 
beach at 0900. 
At birth, the monk seal pup is thin, but not 
as thin as the elephant seal pup (Bartholo- 
mew, 1952). The fetal membranes had been 
detached from three pups seen a few hours 
after birth. The still bloody, damp tissues lay 
on the coral sand nearby. We found no clue 
as to how the umbilical cord was parted so 
soon after birth. Young fur seals may trail the 
237 
placenta from the umbilicus for several days 
after birth. A captive sea lion broke the um- 
bilicus from her pup by jerking the placenta 
with her teeth (Slijper, 1956). The newly born 
monk seal is wide-eyed (eye color, blue- 
black) and apparently is able to see quite well. 
It is toothless (see dentition) and has a well- 
developed single coat of soft black hair (see 
pelage). Like other pinnipeds, it moves about 
with surprising agility soon after it is born. 
Nursing and Weaning 
The mother monk seal nurses her pup from 
four abdominal nipples, which are extruded 
only when the pup is nursing. The bearded 
seal (Erignathus barhatus) (Mohr, 1952) and 
the monk seal are apparently the only phocids 
having four functional teats. 
During the nursing period, the mother re- 
mains constantly near her pup. She rolls on 
her side to permit the pup to nurse (Fig. 9). 
During the first 30 to 40 days of its life, the 
pup normally nurses at frequent intervals 
(several timed at 4 to 5 minutes) and gains 
weight rapidly (see growth). When not nurs- 
ing or swimming, the pup sleeps beside its 
mother. When sleeping, the pup sprawls flat 
Fig. 9. A 12-day-old male monk seal pup nurses from one of its mother’s four abdominal nipples. Nursing 
seals usually ignore human observers unless approached more closely than 8-10 feet. Midway Atoll, April 14, 
1957 (KWK 57-16-9). 
