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Weaning mass and the future survival of juvenile southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Macquarie Island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2004

Clive R. McMahon ,
Harry R. Burton  and
Marthán N. Bester
Clive R. McMahon
Affiliation:
Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS 7050, Australia Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Harry R. Burton
Affiliation:
Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS 7050, Australia
Marthán N. Bester
Affiliation:
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
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Abstract

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Seals that survived their first year were on average 2% and 4% heavier at birth and at weaning than the “non-survivors”. First year survival rates calculated for weaners over 135 kg weaning masses showed these weaners had higher survival rates than those less than 95 kg at weaning (71.55% and 54.15% respectively). Heavy weaners had greater fat reserves than light weaners and gained relatively more mass during lactation. Size, and therefore condition at weaning, influences first year survival.

Keywords

conditionmaternal expendituresouthern elephant sealsurvivalwean mass
Type
Paper—Life Sciences and Oceanography
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , June 2000 , pp. 149 - 153
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 2000