ENT Read this story to find out about a harbor seal pup that

Last updated: 2/11/2023

ENT Read this story to find out about a harbor seal pup that has a special problem In the sea a harbor seal pup learns to catch and eat fish by watching its mother By the time it is weaned at the age of four or five weeks it is able to feed on its own Without a mother and living temporarily in captivity Pearson had to be taught what a fish was and how to swallow it Eventually he would have to learn to catch one himself Holly started his training with a small herring an oily fish which is a favorite with seals Gently she opened his mouth and slipped the fish in headfirst Harbor seals have sharp teeth for catching fish but no teeth for grinding and chewing They swallow their food whole But Pearson didn t seem to understand what he was supposed to do He bit down on the fish and then spit it out Holly tried again This time Pearson got the idea He swallowed the herring in one gulp and looked eagerly for more Within a week he was being hand fed a pound of fish a day in addition to his formula This new diet made him friskier than ever He chased the other pups in the outside pen He plunged into the small wading pool and rolled in the shallow water splashing both seals and people I Source Pearson A Harbor Seal Pup by Susan Meyers New York E P Dutton 1980 pp 15 16 Note Do not count as a miscue mispronunciation of the name Pearson You may pronounce this name for the student if needed SCORING AID Word Recognition Miscues 99 3 95 11 90 22 85 33 Miscues Word Recognition