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Southern elephant seal - MIROUNGA LEONINA
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Seal": "Seal" comes from the Old English word "seolh," for the animal.
Location: Islands and archipelagoes in Antarctic waters and on the shores of Tierra del Fuego.
Habitat: rtocky coasts of islands and the mainland in the Antarctic.
Description: This is the largest of the pinniped carnivores. The male is dark gray, the female is browner. The proboscis, which functions in social and sexual display, is formed by muscular sacs which can be erected either by blood pressure or by air. In adult males the proboscis increases in size during the breeding season. Total length of the male of this seal is over twenty one feet, and it weighs an incredible four tons! The female is about 50% of the length and 25% of the weight of the male.
Behavior: The reproductive period begins in September when the male comes ashore; the females follow. Harems of 40 to 50 females are formed, and larger harems of up to 100 have been observed. The males do not eat, because they are constantly defending their harem against rival males. This defense may involve only threatening postures, but there may be bloody duels fought with their large upper canines. When they do eat, squid is the primary item in their diet.
Reproduction: The young are born in October and the females then mate after about eighteen days. They remain on land for about 25 days to nurse their pups. During this period they do not eat, and they may lose up to 650 pounds as a result. The pup may quadruple its weight in 3-4 weeks.
Go to the Carnivora Page to learn more about the all the meat-eating animals.
Or go to the Seal Index to study other
seals.
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