Moult in the Mediterranean monk seal from Cap Blanc, western Sahara

Abstract

At birth, the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is covered with dark lanugo This is shed earlier and faster in females, so they complete the moult when they are significantly younger (64 days) than males (82 days). Moulted pups present a greyish dorsal and a white ventral pelage. Only the hair is shed in the first moult. In subsequent moults, the hairs are shed along with large sheets of cornified epidermis. A series of sequential stages were identified, which included a long...