What is the scientific name of the ringed seal, a widespread Arctic seal?

The scientific name of the ringed seal is Pusa hispida.

Ringed seals are the smallest and most widespread Arctic seals, living in sea ice and cold coastal waters across the Northern Hemisphere. Their scientific classification places them in the genus Pusa, which they share with the Caspian seal.

The species name hispida means “bristly” or “rough-haired,” referring to the seal’s coat. Ringed seals are named for the pale rings surrounding dark spots on their backs and sides. Their coats also provide camouflage against broken sea ice.

They maintain breathing holes in solid ice and give birth in snow lairs above those openings. Ringed seals are an important food source for polar bears, Arctic foxes, and Indigenous communities. They are sometimes confused with harp seals, whose pups have a distinctive white coat and whose adults have a dark harp-shaped marking.