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Whitecoat

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Pup suckling on mother's milk
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Pup suckling on mother's milk

Whitecoat is the name of new-born harp or grey seal with soft, white fur.

New-born harp seals have yellow fur, which turns white within a few days, hence the name "whitecoat". Cows frequently return to their pups to suckle. While she is suckling, the mother does not eat—rather, she draws on her reserves of fatty blubber to produce the milk.

Nursing lasts for about 12 days. Pups grow rapidly, at the end of nursing, most pups weigh 36 kg (80 lbs) or more. The mothers then leave their fully-fed pups and join the bulls to mate. At this age of about 12 days, pups first become "greycoats", [link] as grey juvenile coloring grows under their white fur, then "ragged-jackets" when white fur begins to fall out in patches.

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