[NatureNS] a little stumped?

From: "Laurie Murison" <gmwhale@nbnet.nb.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <1367255405.337161.1366589582298.JavaMail.open-xchange@webmail.bellaliant.net>
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:43:19 -0300
Organization: GMWSRS
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0438_01CE3F3D.D26396A0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I can see why you were confused.  It is taken at an angle that most =
would not expect.

Seals, when they are resting at the surface, have a posture that is =
often called "Bottling" which, of course, refers to how a bottle will =
float in the water with the neck and mouth out of the water, vertical in =
the water.  This may be a protective posture with the head tilted back, =
since predators are more likely to attack from behind their prey rather =
than in front, and thus a resting seal, if disturbed, can open its eyes =
and be looking behind itself.=20

It also makes breathing easier when remaining at the surface when the =
head if vertical since the nostrils on seals are at the end of the =
snout, although this seal's head is tilted quite far back. Seals usually =
stop to breathe at the surface unlike whales where their nostrils have =
moved to the top of their head which allows them to swim and breathe =
without stopping.=20

This is not to say that the seal was not swimming on its back but an =
additional possibility.

Laurie Murison
Grand Manan Island, NB
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Jeannie Shermerhorn,Cape George,Richmond County=20
  To: nature=20
  Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2013 9:13 PM
  Subject: [NatureNS] a little stumped?


  Hi all,=20
  Here is a photo of a seal taken in St.Peter's, not a very good photo I =
might add. I have cropped it twice,  so 3 photos in all. I was wondering =
if it has something in it's mouth, because the head  looks a bit odd.=20
    =
http://jeannies.smugmug.com/Nature/bits-and-pieces/24769962_r2rBSj#!i=3D2=
469516698&k=3Dvr85cJn=20
  Jeannie Shermerhorn=20


------=_NextPart_000_0438_01CE3F3D.D26396A0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

=EF=BB=BF<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUTF-8" http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.18928">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>I can see why you were confused.&nbsp; =
It is taken=20
at an angle that most would not expect.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Seals, when they are resting at the surface, have a posture that is =
often=20
called "Bottling" which, of course, refers to how a bottle will float in =
the=20
water with the neck and mouth out of the water, vertical in the =
water.&nbsp;=20
This may be a protective posture with the head tilted back, since =
predators are=20
more likely to attack from behind their prey rather than in front, and =
thus a=20
resting seal, if disturbed, can open its eyes and be looking behind=20
itself.&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>It also makes breathing easier when remaining at the surface when =
the head=20
if vertical since the nostrils on seals&nbsp;are at the end of the =
snout,=20
although this seal's head is tilted quite far back.&nbsp;Seals usually =
stop to=20
breathe at the surface unlike whales where their nostrils have moved to =
the top=20
of their head which allows them to swim and breathe without stopping. =
</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>This is not to say that the seal was not swimming on its back but =
an=20
additional possibility.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Laurie Murison</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Grand Manan Island, NB</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Djeannies@ns.sympatico.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:jeannies@ns.sympatico.ca">Jeannie Shermerhorn,Cape=20
  George,Richmond County</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">nature</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, April 21, 2013 =
9:13=20
PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] a little=20
  stumped?</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV>Hi all, </DIV>
  <DIV>Here is a photo of a seal taken in St.Peter's, not a very good =
photo I=20
  might add. I have cropped it twice, &nbsp;so 3 photos in all. I was =
wondering=20
  if it has something in it's mouth, because&nbsp;the head &nbsp;looks a =
bit=20
  odd. </DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp; <A=20
  =
href=3D"http://jeannies.smugmug.com/Nature/bits-and-pieces/24769962_r2rBS=
j#!i=3D2469516698&amp;k=3Dvr85cJn">http://jeannies.smugmug.com/Nature/bit=
s-and-pieces/24769962_r2rBSj#!i=3D2469516698&amp;k=3Dvr85cJn</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV id=3Dox-signature>Jeannie Shermerhorn=20
<BR><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0438_01CE3F3D.D26396A0--

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects