Hauling out is a behaviour associated with pinnipeds (true seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses) temporarily leaving the water.[1][2] Hauling-out typically occurs between periods of foraging activity.[1][3][4] Rather than remain in the water, pinnipeds haul out onto land or sea ice for reasons such as reproduction and rest.[4][2] Hauling out is necessary in seals for mating (with the exception of the Baikal seal[1]) and giving birth (although a distinction is generally made between reproductive aggregations, termed "rookeries", and non-reproductive aggregations, termed "haul-outs").[4][5] Other benefits of hauling out may include predator avoidance, thermoregulation, social activity, parasite reduction and rest.[4][2][5][6]
There is much variation in haul-out patterns among different seal species.[1] Haul-out sites may be segregated by age and sex within the same species.[3] Many species of pinniped have only a few localized rookeries where they breed, but periodically occupy hundreds of haul-out sites throughout the range.[5] For example, the Australian fur seals breed on only nine islands in Bass Strait but also occupy up to 50 haul-out sites in south-east Australian waters,[4] and Steller sea lions have around 50 rookeries throughout their range, but several hundred haul-out sites.[5] Hauling-out behaviour provides numerous benefits to pinnipeds besides reproduction. This behaviour has been shown to be used for activities such as thermoregulation, predator avoidance, moulting, nursing, and resting.[2] Haul-out frequency, duration, and site location (i.e. sea-ice, floating-ice, and terrestrial) are all influenced by physical constraints (i.e. air temperature, wind speed, and time of day) and biological constraints (i.e. moulting, age, and sex).[2][7][6][8][9] Variations in hauling-out behaviour exist among pinnipeds for reasons such as geographical location.[7]
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