Table 3. Stable isotopic characteristics of post-trip whiskers for each sub-yearling elephant seal (n = 12).
| Seal IDNo. | Sex | Whiskerlength | Pre-trip basal segment | Post-trip whisker stable isotopic characteristics | Habitatgroup | |||||||||
| Overall | In-utero/lactation/fasting | Independent foraging at sea | ||||||||||||
| (mm) | δ13C (‰) | δ15N (‰) | δ13C (‰) | δ15N (‰) | C:N | Length | δ13C (‰) | δ15N (‰) | Length | δ13C (‰) | δ15N (‰) | |||
| (range) | (range) | ratio | (mm) | (mm) | ||||||||||
| 1995/1996 | ||||||||||||||
| J226 | F | 121.0 | −20.0 | 10.8 | −20.5±1.0 | 10.5±1.0 | 2.9±0.1 | 95.0 (27) | −20.2±0.9 | 10.6±0.9 | 12.0 (60) | −21.4±0.5 | 9.1±0.4 | PF |
| (−21.9–−18.7) | (8.5–12.4) | |||||||||||||
| J263 | M | 112.0 | −20.3 | 10.5 | −20.6±0.5 | 10.9±0.8 | 3.0±0.1 | 90.0 (26) | −20.4±0.5 | 10.8±0.7 | 4.0 (2) | −21.0±0.5 | 9.3±0.7 | ACC to PF-S |
| (−21.5–−19.8) | (9.8–12.6) | |||||||||||||
| J373 | F | 105.0 | −19.9 | 10.6 | −20.2±0.4 | 10.2±0.4 | 3.0±0.1 | 85.0 (27) | −20.1±0.3 | 10.2±0.4 | - | - | - | PF |
| (−21.1–−19.7) | (9.6–11.2) | |||||||||||||
| J375 | F | 148.0 | −19.6 | 10.3 | −20.2±1.1 | 10.9±0.9 | 3.0±0.0 | 98.0 (31) | −19.5±0.2 | 10.9±0.8 | 30.0 (5) | −21.8±0.7 | 10.3±1.5 | PF |
| (−22.9–−19.1) | (8.7–12.5) | |||||||||||||
| J492 | F | 112.0 | −20.4 | 11.2 | −20.2±0.3 | 10.0±0.7 | 2.9±0.1 | 90.0 (24) | −20.1±0.3 | 10.2±0.5 | 4.0 (2) | −20.6±0.0 | 8.1±0.3 | PF |
| (−20.6–−19.7) | (7.9–11.8) | |||||||||||||
| J503 | M | 116.0 | - | - | −19.7±0.8 | 11.1±1.0 | 3.0±0.1 | 102.0 (28) | −19.5±0.6 | 11.1±0.9 | 6.0 (3) | −21.1±0.1 | 9.3±0.2 | PF |
| (−21.2–−18.6) | (9.2–13.0) | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 119.0±15.2 | −20.0±0.3 | 10.7±0.3 | −20.2±0.8 | 10.6±0.9 | 93.3±6.2 | −20.0±0.6 | 10.7±0.8 | 11.2±11.0 | −21.5±0.7 | 9.6±1.3 | |||
| (−22.9–−18.6) | (7.9–13.0) | (27.2±2.3) | (3.6±1.8) | |||||||||||
| 1999/2000 | ||||||||||||||
| T719 | F | 132.0 | - | - | −17.6±0.5 | 11.9±0.6 | 2.9±0.1 | 129.0 (39)* | −17.7±0.5 | 11.9±0.6 | - | - | - | PF |
| (−18.5–−16.7) | (10.8–13.7) | |||||||||||||
| T825 | F | 104.0 | - | - | −20.7±0.3 | 10.4±0.7 | 2.9±0.1 | 104.0 (32)* | −20.7±0.4 | 10.4±0.7 | - | - | - | S of SACCF-S |
| (−21.3–−20.1) | (9.1–11.9) | |||||||||||||
| T839 | F | 89.0 | - | - | −20.9±0.4 | 10.1±0.7 | 2.8±0.1 | 90.0 (24)* | −20.9±0.4 | 10.1±0.8 | - | - | - | ACC to PF-S |
| (−21.6–−20.4) | (9.2–11.4) | |||||||||||||
| T867 | F | 129.0 | - | - | −20.7±0.5 | 11.4±1.3 | 2.9±0.1 | 102.0 (27) | −20.5±0.5 | 11.2±1.1 | 8.0 (4) | −21.1±0.1 | 9.7±0.3 | ACC to PF-S |
| (−21.5–−20.0) | (9.4–13.4) | |||||||||||||
| T875 | F | 120.0 | - | - | −19.4±1.3 | 11.3±1.2 | 2.9±0.0 | 85.0 (24) | −18.6±0.5 | 11.5±0.9 | 18.0 (9) | −21.3±0.4 | 9.7±0.3 | ACC to PF-S |
| (−21.8–−17.8) | (9.1–13.9) | |||||||||||||
| T887 | F | 76.0 | - | - | −20.5±0.3 | 10.6±0.8 | 2.8±0.1 | 76.0 (19)* | −20.6±0.3 | 10.7±0.8 | - | - | - | ACC to PF-S |
| (−21.1–−20.1) | (9.7–12.1) | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 108.3±22.6 | - | - | −19.8±1.4 | 11.1±1.1 | 93.5±12.0 | −19.6±1.1 | 11.3±1.0 | 13.0±7.1 | −21.4±0.4 | 9.7±1.0 | |||
| (−21.8–−16.7) | (9.1–13.9) | (25.5±2.1) | (6.5±3.5) | |||||||||||
| Overall mean | 113.7±19.2 | −20.0±0.3 | 10.7±0.3 | −20.0±1.1 | 10.8±1.0 | 93.4±6.9 | −19.9±0.8 | 10.8±0.9 | 11.7±9.5 | −21.4±0.6 | 9.6±1.0 | |||
| (−22.9–−16.7) | (7.9–13.9) | (26.8±2.3) | (9.1±6.4) | |||||||||||
*
Seals showed incomplete whisker growth (mm) during in-utero/lactation/fasting. Results for these animals are not included in the mean and overall mean (± standard deviation).