Extended Maternal Dependence By Juvenile Australian Fur Seals (Arctocephalus Pusillus Doriferus)

Abstract

AUSTRALIAN fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) cows mature at 3 - 6 years of age and, thereafter, are able to give birth to a single pup each year (Warneke and Shaughnessy 1985; Warneke 1995). Pups are born from late October to December and are usually nursed for 8 - 11 months (Warneke and Shaughnessy 1985), however, extended dependency into a second or third year has been recorded (Stirling and Warneke 1971). At Seal Rocks, Victoria, one of nine breeding sites for A. p. doriferus (Warneke 1988; Pemberton and Kirkwood 1994), 11% of young that were observed in association with cows were older than one year (Shaughnessy and Warneke 1987).