Arctocephalus pusillus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Arctocephalus pusillus, commonly known as the Afro-Australian fur seal, or brown fur seal is a species of fur seal. The species is often referred to as the Cape fur seal, although this name is also used specifically for the nominate subspecies, A. p. pusillus, of southern Africa. The other subspecies, A. p. doriferus, is found in Australia and is known as the Australian fur seal.
Arctocephalus pusillus is the largest and most robust member of the fur seals. It has a broad, flat head with a pointed snout that may be slightly upturned. It has external ear flaps (pinnae) and its whiskers (vibrissae) are long, possibly extending past the pinnae, especially in adult males. The fore-flippers are covered with sparse hairs over about three-quarters of their length. The hind flippers are short relative to the large body, with short, fleshy tips on the digits. The size and weight of the brown fur seal depend on the subspecies; the Southern African subspecies is, on average, slightly larger than the Australian subspecies. Males of the African subspecies (A. p. pusillus) are 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in length on average and weigh 200–300 kg (440–660 lb). Females are smaller, averaging... Wikipedia →
Recording0:38
South Africa · 2024
© matthee2003 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 7 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhuhai Chimelong Ocean Kingdom | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Chimelong Spaceship | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 5 | Beijing Wildlife Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 6 | Ukumarí Biopark | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 7 | Kyiv Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 8 | Friguia Park | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | |
| 9 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Melbourne Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Chengdu Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 12 | Faunia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 13 | Parque de las Leyendas | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 14 | Belgrade Zoo | 🇷🇸 Serbia | |
| 15 | Two Oceans Aquarium | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 16 | 海兽馆 | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 17 | East London Aquarium | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 18 | Sea Life Sunshine Coast | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 19 | Wild Life Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 20 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 21 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 22 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 23 | Bristol Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 24 | Sumida Aquarium | 🇯🇵 Japan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Afro-Australian Fur Seal sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 22 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Afro-Australian Fur Seal in Melbourne on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Afro-Australian Fur Seal sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Afro-Australian Fur Seal sightings, Melbourne ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Cape Town (South Africa, about 30%), Hobart (Australia, about 10%) and Sydney (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Afro-Australian Fur Seal is recorded against all the mammals logged in Melbourne (17 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
