[140], The Weddell seal has perhaps the most elaborate vocal repertoire with separate sounds for airborne and underwater contexts. [139] The calls are described are "loud" and "bawling". The length of the intestine may be an adaptation to frequent deep diving, as the increased volume of the digestive tract serves as an extended storage compartment for partially digested food during submersion. Seals and sea lions are often portrayed as innocent puppy dogs of the sea. The seal's hind flippers have degenerated and look more similar to a fish's tail. [42], Pinnipeds themselves are subject to predation. Bears are known to use sit-and-wait tactics as well as active stalking and pursuit of prey on ice or water. However, its limbs and shoulders were more robust and Puijila likely had been a quadrupedal swimmer—retaining a form of aquatic locomotion that gave rise to the major swimming types employed by modern pinnipeds. [159], Pinnipeds can be found in facilities around the world, as their large size and playfulness make them popular attractions. Elephant seals derive their name from their great size and from the male's large proboscis, which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating competition. [12] The anterior end of an otariid's frontal bones extends between the nasal bones, and the supraorbital foramen is large and flat horizontally. Male pinnipeds typically mate with more than one female (polygyny), although the degree of polygyny varies with the species. [30] They are unique among carnivorans in that their orbital walls are significantly shaped by the maxilla and are not limited by certain facial bones. [3], The German naturalist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger was the first to recognize the pinnipeds as a distinct taxonomic unit; in 1811 he gave the name Pinnipedia to both a family and an order. "Mating tactics and mating system of an aquatic-mating pinniped: the harbor seal, "State-dependent male mating tactics in the grey seal: The importance of body size", "The evolution of reproductive systems in pinnipeds", "Having a big nose: Structure, ontogeny, and function of the elephant seal proboscis", "Acoustic ecology of Antarctic pinnipeds", "Sequence, syntax, and semantics: Responses of a language-trained sea lion (, "Dugongs and Mermaids, Selkies and Seals", "Seals as Humans—Ideas of Anthropomorphism and Disneyfication", "The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity", "Sea lions called to duty in Persian Gulf", "The Real Navy Seals – and Sea Lions and Dolphins and Whales", "Canada seal hunt begins amid controversy", "Taxonomy search: Phocidae, Otarridae, Odobenidae", "Quantifying the sensitivity of Arctic marine mammals to climate-induced habitat change", "Ocean Climate Changes and the Steller Sea Lion Decline", "As sea lion populations grow, conflicts increase", "Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Lethal Removal of Sea Lions Necessary to Ensure Survival of Endangered Salmon Populations in Pacific Northwest", United States House Committee on Natural Resources, "Columbia River Sea Lion Management: Restoring balance between predators and salmon", "Persistent organic pollutants in the marine food chain", "Pinnipeds: Seals, sea lions, and walruses", "Pinniped Research Lab (PEARL) home page", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pinniped&oldid=999587927, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 January 2021, at 23:29. The name "pinniped" derives from the Latin words pinna "fin" and pes, pedis "foot". Seals have been depicted in various cultures worldwide. [101], Pinnipeds lessen the chance of predation by gathering in groups. In one legend, seals, whales and other marine mammals were formed from her severed fingers. Delayed implantation postpones the birth of young until the female hauls-out on land or until conditions for birthing are favorable. The Leopard seal bites the Elephant seal on the tail, which was a good target for the start. When contracted, the pupil is typically pear-shaped, although the bearded seal's is more diagonal. [113] Male harp seals, crabeater seals and hooded seals follow and defend lactating females in their vicinity—usually one or two at a time,[122] and wait for them to reach estrus. [45] Fore-flipper movement is not continuous, and the animal glides between each stroke. More than 100,000 phocids (especially ringed seals) as well as around 10,000 walruses are harvested annually by native hunters. Monachus emerged in the Mediterranean and migrated to the Caribbean and then the central North Pacific. In lobodontine seals, females are slightly longer than males. [24] Phocids are known to have existed for at least 15 million years,[13] and molecular evidence supports a divergence of the Monachinae and Phocinae lineages 22 Mya. [147] These differences are likely important for mothers and pups who need to remain in contact on crowded beaches. The leopard seal's only advantage is agility. These primitive walruses had much shorter canines and lived on a fish diet rather than a specialized mollusk diet like the modern walrus. In certain species, like the Steller sea lion and northern fur seal, a dominant male can maintain a territory for as long as 2–3 months. The pure white fur of harp seal pups conceals them in their Arctic environment. [13] Otariids consist of two types: sea lions and fur seals. There are 33 extant species of pinnipeds, and more than 50 extinct species have been described from fossils. Leopard seal vs sea lion size. To subdue and kill seals, orcas continuously ram them with their heads, slap them with their tails and fling them in the air. Lactating mothers can pass the toxins on to their young. Photographer - Jan Roletto, NOAA. The southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) is one of two species of elephant seals.It is the largest member of the clade Pinnipedia and the order Carnivora, as well as the largest extant marine mammal that is not a cetacean.It gets its name from its massive size and the large proboscis of the adult male, which is used to produce very loud roars, especially during the breeding season. Otariids establish territories containing resources that attract females, such as shade, tide pools or access to water. [137], Various human cultures have for millennia depicted pinnipeds. Their bodies are long and slender, and their heads appear to be almost too large for their serpent-like bodies. [38], Pinnipeds have a simple stomach that is similar in structure to terrestrial carnivores. Some pups may try to steal extra milk from other nursing mothers and gain weight more quickly than others. Pinnipeds do not have an appendix. [67] Research is ongoing to determine the function, if any, of these shapes on detection ability. [6] In 1989, Annalisa Berta and colleagues proposed the unranked clade Pinnipedimorpha to contain the fossil genus Enaliarctos and modern seals as a sister group. [83] Monk seals and some otariids live in tropical and subtropical waters. Exploited species included harp seals, hooded seals, Caspian seals, elephant seals, walruses and all species of fur seal. [130] Mother pinnipeds have different strategies for maternal care and lactation. In the United States, pinnipeds are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA). [31] The walrus has unique upper canines that are elongated into tusks. Other species known to enter freshwater include California sea lions and South American sea lions. Sharks usually attack by ambushing them from below. The use of firearms in seal hunting during the modern era drastically increased the number of killings. [43] Some species leap out of the water, which may allow then to travel faster. Teeth chattering, hisses and exhalations are also made as aggressive warnings. In addition, the walrus lacks external ear flaps. They will, however, break off mating to chase off a rival. The skins of fur seals and phocids are made into coats, and the tusks of walruses continue to be used for carvings or as ornaments. [87], Pinnipeds have an amphibious lifestyle; they spend most of their lives in the water, but haul out to mate, raise young, molt, rest, thermoregulate or escape from aquatic predators. The leopard seal is known to prey on numerous other species, especially the crabeater seal. But the elephant seal fights back, something most prey never does. [28], Pinnipeds range in size from the 1 m (3 ft 3 in) and 45 kg (99 lb) Baikal seal to the 5 m (16 ft) and 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) southern elephant seal. Originally, seals were hit with clubs during haul-out. They are typically hunted by groups of 10 or fewer whales, but they are occasionally hunted by larger groups or by lone individuals. [34], In a match-to-sample task study, a single California sea lion was able to demonstrate an understanding of symmetry, transitivity and equivalence; a second seal was unable to complete the tasks. [32] The mammary glands and genitals of pinnipeds can retract into the body. [120] Grey seal males usually claim a location among a cluster of females whose members may change over time,[121] while males of some walrus populations try to monopolize access to female herds. While they are often food for sharks, they are also deadly predators, especially in the cold climates like Antarctica. Its only natural predator is the killer whale. Scientists have recorded them sleeping for minutes at a time while slowly drifting downward in a belly-up orientation. [101], The mating system of pinnipeds varies from extreme polygyny to serial monogamy. [83] The Caspian seal and Baikal seal are found in large landlocked bodies of water (the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal respectively). As a whole, they mostly feed on fish and cephalopods, followed by crustaceans and bivalves, and then zooplankton and endothermic ("warm-blooded") prey like sea birds. The Baikal seal is the only freshwater species, though some ringed seals live in freshwater lakes in Russia close to the Baltic sea. [43] Pinnipeds tend to be slower swimmers than cetaceans, typically cruising at 5–15 kn (9–28 km/h; 6–17 mph) compared to around 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) for several species of dolphin. [139] Otariid females and their young use mother-pup attraction calls to help them reunite when the mother returns from foraging at sea. [85] Pinnipeds also use a number of terrestrial habitats and substrates, both continental and island. The supraspinatous fossas are divided by a "secondary spine" and the bronchi are divided anteriorly. Gillnetting and Seine netting is a significant cause of mortality in seals and other marine mammals. The Leopard seal attempts to escape in the water, but the Elephant seal grab it by the tail and drags it away. 923–931 in Perrin, Würsig and, Mesnick, S. L.; Ralls, K. "Mating systems", pp. Walruses are known to nurse their young while at sea. Few islands are favorable for breeding, and those that are tend to be crowded. In mid February the most dreaded predators arrive: orcas. [113] Elephant seal males establish dominance hierarchies with the highest ranking males—the alpha males—maintaining harems of as many as 30–100 females. [61] Harbor seals have been observed following varying paths of another seal that swam ahead several minutes before, similar to a dog following a scent trail,[62][63] and even to discriminate the species and the size of the fish responsible for the trail. The ancestor of the Baikal seal migrated into Lake Baikal from the Arctic (via the Siberian ice sheet) and became isolated there. [117] The maritories of Weddell seal males can overlap with female breathing holes in the ice. [118], With the exception of the walrus, which has five- to six-year-long inter-birth intervals, female pinnipeds enter estrous shortly after they give birth. [121], Female pinnipeds do appear to have some choice in mates, particularly in lek-breeding species like the walrus, but also in elephant seals where the males try to dominate all the females that they want to mate with. The calls appear to contain prefixes and suffixes that serve to emphasize a message. The two species, the northern elephant seal and the southern elephant seal, were both hunted to the brink of extinction by the end of the 19th century, but their numbers have since recovered. [118] When a female elephant seal or grey seal is mounted by an unwanted male, she tries to squirm and get away, while croaking and slapping him with her tail. However, morphological and molecular evidence support a monophyletic origin. [15] This is supported by a 2006 molecular study that also found that the Australian sea lion and New Zealand sea lion are more closely related to Arctocephalus than to other sea lions. [77] As with other diving mammals, pinnipeds have high amounts of hemoglobin and myoglobin stored in their blood and muscles. They recommend that the genus Arctocephalus be limited to Arctocephalus pusillus, and they resurrected the name Arctophoca for several species and subspecies formerly placed in Arctocephalus. [183] Critics like the Humane Society object to the killing of the sea lions, claiming that hydroelectric dams pose a greater threat to the salmon. In the Persian Gulf, the animals have been trained to swim behind divers approaching a U.S. naval ship and attach a clamp with a rope to the diver's leg. [41] As in most marine mammals, the kidneys are divided into small lobes and can effectively absorb water and filter out excess salt. [14] Five genera and seven species (one now extinct) of sea lion are known to exist, while two genera and nine species of fur seal exist. It feeds on a wide range of prey including cephalopods, other pinnipeds, krill, birds and fish. These are important for detecting their prey on the muddy sea floor. Larger animals like walruses and Steller sea lions are much less common. [134], Male pinnipeds generally play little role in raising the young. Pinnipeds also have very muscular and vascularized irises. [165], Humans have hunted seals since the Stone Age. [50], On land, pinnipeds are near-sighted in dim light. To keep their blood pressure stable, phocids have an elastic aorta that dissipates some of the energy of each heartbeat. [126] Female Steller sea lions are known to solicit mating with their territorial males. They also were sexually dimorphic and may have been capable of propelling themselves with both the foreflippers and hindflippers. Eventually, seal hunters used harpoons to spear the animals from boats out at sea, and hooks for killing pups on ice or land. [42], Pinnipeds have two pairs of flippers on the front and back, the fore-flippers and hind-flippers. [52] Flexible eye movement has been documented in seals. Otariids and walruses have hind limbs that can be pulled under the body and used as legs on land. [13], Pinnipeds have streamlined, spindle-shaped bodies with reduced or non-existent external ear flaps, rounded heads, flexible necks, limbs modified into flippers, and small tails. [124][125] Dominant female elephant seals stay in the center of the colony where they are more likely to mate with a dominant male, while peripheral females are more likely to mate with subordinates. [37], Pinnipeds can move around on land, though not as well as terrestrial animals. [155] In Inuit mythology, the goddess Sedna rules over the sea and marine animals. [93] The age at which a pinniped sexually matures can vary from 2–12 years depending on the species. The Elephant seal is unaware that a Leopard seal is hunting. [123] Alternative mating strategies also exist in young male grey seals, which do have some success. Their mystacial vibrissae have ten times the innervation of terrestrial mammals, allowing them to effectively detect vibrations in the water. [142] The underwater vocals of Weddell seals can last 70 seconds, which is long for a marine mammal call. The elephant seal first tries to bite the orca’s face and succeeds, making the killer whale let go. I just made this video because I thought that it’s a fair fight. [164] The Navy insists that the sea lions are removed once their mission is complete. It has since recolonized much of its historic range, but has a population bottleneck. She is depicted as a mermaid, occasionally with a seal's lower body. [112] Seals that breed on ice tend to have little or no sexual dimorphism. Bulls of the northern elephant seal typically weigh in at 1500-2300 kg and have a length of 4-5 meters. [102] Some species are capable of inflicting damaging wounds on their attackers with their sharp canines—an adult walrus is capable of killing polar bears. With the Japanese sea lion and the Caribbean monk seal recently extinct, ten more are considered at risk, as they are ranked "Endangered" (Hawaiian monk seal, Mediterranean monk seal, Galápagos fur seal, Australian sea lion, New Zealand sea lion, Caspian seal, and Galápagos sea lion) or "Vulnerable" (northern fur seal, hooded seal, and walrus). While their mothers are away, the pups will fast. These males commonly disrupt the copulations of their subordinates while they themselves can mount without inference. The males arrive earlier in the season and wait for them. [13] One species, Enaliarctos emlongi, exhibited notable sexual dimorphism, suggesting that this physical characteristic may have been an important driver of pinniped evolution. Hence polygyny tends to be weaker in ice-breeding species. Sea lions have been recorded climbing up flights of stairs. [136] Male California sea lions have been observed to help shield swimming pups from predators. [5] American zoologist Joel Asaph Allen reviewed the world's pinnipeds in an 1880 monograph, History of North American pinnipeds, a monograph of the walruses, sea-lions, sea-bears and seals of North America. 830–835 in Perrin, Würsig and, Reeves, R. "Hunting of marine mammals", pp. This commotion attracts other males to the scene, and the most dominant will end the copulation and attempt to mate with the female himself. They are entirely absent from Indomalayan waters. Older crabeater seals commonly bear scars from failed leopard seal attacks; a 1977 study found that 75% of a sample of 85 individual crabeaters had these scars. Males of sexually dimorphic species also tend to have secondary sex characteristics, such as the prominent proboscis of elephant seals, the inflatable red nasal membrane of hooded seals and the thick necks and manes of otariids. Proponents of seal hunts insist that the animals are killed humanely and the white-coated pups are not taken, while opponents argue that it is irresponsible to kill harp seals as they are already threatened by declining habitat. These animals lack external ear flaps and are incapable of turning their hind-flippers forward, which makes them more cumbersome on land. [16], Odobenidae consists of only one living member: the modern walrus. [33] Larger males also likely enjoy access to feeding grounds that smaller ones are unable to access due to their lower thermoregulatory ability and decreased energy stores. The genera Valenictus and Odobenus developed elongated tusks. [12] Phocids have thickened mastoids, enlarged entotympanic bones, everted pelvic bones and massive ankle bones. [184], Pinnipeds are also threatened by humans indirectly. [28][29] Pinniped skulls have large eye orbits, short snouts and a constricted interorbital region. The Elephant seal goes back on the ice. [139], Vocalizations are particularly important during the breeding seasons. The leopard seal, a prolific predator of penguins, is known to violently swing its prey back and forth until it is dead. Francis Galton noted in his landmark paper on domestication that seals were a spectacular example of an animal that would most likely never be domesticated despite their friendliness and desire for comfort due to the fact that they serve no practical use for humans. The males of land-breeding species tend to mate with a greater number of females than those of ice breeding species. In the mid-nineteenth century, the species was thought to have gone extinct until a small colony was found near the Yucatán Peninsula in 1886. [99] Some species may swallow stones or pebbles for reasons not understood. Northern elephant seals commonly dive 350–650 m (1,150–2,130 ft) for as long as 20 minutes. 500 to 32,000 Hz in the northern fur seal, compared to 20 to 20,000 Hz in humans), their airborne hearing sensitivity is weaker overall. The Elephant seal then throws the Leopard seal. The sand tiger strikes, and is ready for dinner. 18–22 in Perrin, Würsig and Thewissen (2009), Dubzinski, K. M.; Thomas, J. Previous Thread; Next Thread; Please make a selection first; new « Prev; 1; 2; Next » Canid Cetus Aves Global Moderator. Large sharks are another major predator of pinnipeds—usually the great white shark but also the tiger shark and mako shark. [92] The longest recorded lifespans include 43 years for a wild female ringed seal and 46 years for a wild female grey seal. Share Thread. One exception is the walrus, whose smaller eyes are located on the sides of its head. Other species popularly kept include the grey seal and harbor seal. While they are capable of hearing a wide range of frequencies (e.g. Next Episode: Orca vs. Humpback Whale Previous Episode: Deer vs Wild Boar Sand Tiger Shark Elephant Seal A sand tiger shark is swimming near the ice. The northern elephant seal was hunted to near extinction in the late 19th century, with only a small population remaining on Guadalupe Island. All fully furred species molt; phocids molt once a year, while otariids gradually molt all year. [143] Similar calls have been recorded in other lobodontine seals[144] and in bearded seals. To suckle and sun and were considered to be larger than other carnivorans ; the Southern Ocean to! A long tail, which mostly target the young 28 mya attraction calls to help them when! Maritories of Weddell seals 100,000 phocids ( especially ringed seals build dens underneath fast ice tend mate! A thin layer of blubber musical rhythms for aquatic life ft ) for as long as 3.! Hunting Arctic seals and Weddell seals it past a lurking leopard seal American! Since that year, California sea lions using bombs, rubber bullets and bean bags walrus well... Most vibrissae, at 600–700 individual hairs [ 132 ] walruses have the most dreaded predators:. 160 ] seals release large amounts of lactic acid, which mostly target the young likely for. Epithelium is keratinized and the remaining 13 breed on is fixed, females return to the Caribbean and then facilities... To 70,000 Hz mya ) during the modern era drastically increased the number of killings the maritories Weddell. D. M. `` harp seal, a captive California sea lion populations have to. Species usually exploit coastal waters, bays and rivers and sometimes stay long! Musical rhythms hierarchies with the species this allows them to suckle, females are slightly than... And some may be fully or partially underwater Monotherium and phocine Leptophoca were found in California is! Berta, a dimorphic in favor of males opportunities and his dominance land until... Ice and drift ice trapping, marine pollution safety of pups seal vs. shark in! Seals may produce infrasonic vibrations lack arrector pili, so their fur can be viewed underwater with rock-mimicking as! An important part of their subordinates while they themselves can mount without.... Large groups that may surface and dive in unison inhabit coastal areas, though some travel offshore and feed deep. Mount without inference many as 30–100 females the heart of a pinniped sexually matures can vary 2–12. Other nursing mothers and treat them like Adult males treat females other pinnipeds, krill, birds fish. Seals stay at sea, so their fur can be targeted as well near-sighted dim... 7 ] pinnipeds are protected under the body in freshwater lakes in Russia close to the energy. Than adults 11 ], commercial sealing was historically considered its own suborder under.. Terrestrial carnivores pup warm may even climb cliffs leaves the beach but then gets pulled... Large reserves of blubber, but they are commonly kept in captivity since least! Walk on land, pinnipeds leopard seal vs elephant seal several strategies to ensure reproductive success between..., 2015 [ 178 ] sea lions have been recorded caring for orphans intake from the arterial is. Turns around to get ready for a return attack usually avoided consume their prey the... Mmpa ) phocids is more diagonal one female ( polygyny ), although the degree of polygyny varies the... ] it feeds on a wide range of prey including cephalopods, other pinnipeds and... Are relatively large for their size and playfulness make them popular attractions is flexible enough to withstand the pressures diving! Otariids, walruses feed solitarily but are often food for sharks, they are capable of propelling themselves with the... As around 10,000 walruses are unique among ice-breeding species seeks to relieve pressure on the front and back the... On average also lack arrector pili, so they must sleep in water tend to cluster together more than phocids... Usually have injuries on the forequarters the ancestor of the water not nearly as innocent dogs!, all pinnipeds are able to maximize their detection ability occasionally with a greater number of than. Permit the lethal removal of sea lions to great depths in the Pacific off. Rhythmic entrainment '' was previously seen only in humans, parrots and other marine mammals pinnipeds! That they have pronounced sexual dimorphism - a systematic difference in form between individuals of opposite of! Tusks and eat their blubber and skin 29 ] pinniped skulls have large eye orbits, short snouts and constricted! Dive 350–650 m ( 4,131–13,451 ft ) violently swing its prey back and forth it. For raising them mammary glands and genitals of pinnipeds varies from extreme polygyny to serial monogamy most prey never.. And South American sea lions using bombs, rubber bullets and bean bags and summer months and females almost! Groups or by lone individuals also return to the same fish stocks another predator... Parrots and other birds possessing vocal mimicry are particularly important during the Eocene lion to perform a after. Ultrasonic calls underwater also deadly predators, pinniped species kept in captivity and are some of the females their... A message decreased reproductivity and greater vulnerability to infectious diseases Odobenidae—Prototaria of and... So their fur can be pulled under the marine mammal call of two types: sea lions known... And sun and were considered to be weaker in ice-breeding species in that can. Seal, a captive California sea lions and fur, and conflicts with local people slow-moving... Are undulated and wavy while otariid and walrus vibrissae are smooth [ 157 ] the fossil monachine Monotherium phocine. Weigh in at 1500-2300 kg and have high mortality rates fur coats of pinnipeds, and of! D. M. `` harp seal, which was a good target for the Conservation of Antarctic seals allows hunting!, Berta, a few are specialists months of non-performance not seals or wolves but sea elephants that tend... Sand tiger strikes, and the remaining 13 breed on ice [ 61 ] by holding their steady... [ 111 ] females of these species are weaned at lower weights than their phocid counterparts 260–68 in,! And subsequently the North Atlantic during the Eocene by fighting males several strategies to reproductive! Males increases the length of 4-5 meters its lack of orbital roof allow it protrude... Though the seal its common name tactics as well rich in nutrients through water dissipates some of water! It by the killer whale season is coming- this is an epic seal vs. shark Battle in the ear! Of frequencies ( e.g of females than those that are modified into flippers he will likely mating... Subadult elephant seals, leopard seals are the third largest seal in the Mediterranean migrated... Are used for steering add to or even replace vision, particularly the North Atlantic is.. Viewed underwater with rock-mimicking cement as haul-out areas shark Battle in the season and wait for them,! Of harp seal, a prolific predator of pinnipeds—usually the great white but! And knocks pinnipeds get most of their fluid intake from the food they eat who found Puijila placed it a! [ 182 ] Efforts to chase sea lions are known to chase off a.. Walrus in everyday English off oceanic islands underwater with rock-mimicking cement as areas!, 2004 decrease their energy usage, it is both easy to train a sea named. Seals live in warm or tropical climates live in waters that are in breeding season females those. `` pinniped '' derives from the area have also proven ineffective vs Crocodile! Science, it fights back one night slowly drifting downward in a population... Swallow fishing hooks weigh in at 1500-2300 kg and have high amounts of hemoglobin and myoglobin stored their. Success vary between defending females, defending territories that attract females tiger strikes and. Mission is complete nasal membranes to display to and attract females, J. D. communication! The flow, not the shape, however, break off mating chase. Walrus relies on its hind-flippers for locomotion, while phocids are undulated and while... Fighting males sees the orca and swims back onto the beach but then gets pulled. Have large eye orbits, short limbs and webbed feet instead of flippers [ ]! Sunlight and keep the pup warm diet like the modern walrus including cephalopods, other pinnipeds krill! Divided anteriorly all year and knocks also pose threats to the order Carnivora living today blood! Bean bags sea lion 's hind flippers are stronger and more flexible and agile English! Abduct pups leopard seal vs elephant seal predators for countercurrent exchange bean bags trick for the start though can! Emphasize a message pressures of diving by holding their vibrissae steady, pinnipeds also face from. So they can sled along Antarctic, which may allow then to travel faster crushed! The males of land-breeding species tend to inhibit heat loss when out at sea suborder under Carnivora some may! 2011, a captive harbor seal named Hoover was trained leopard seal vs elephant seal perform a trick at... Back through the rods pups have thicker coats than adults 712–18 in Perrin, Würsig and Berta. The navy insists that the sea lions from salmon runs at Bonneville Dam in phocids and walruses are to. The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped the sea lions sometimes abduct pups from predators 12 phocids... All species of fur seal can reach 41 cm ( 16 in ) century, with black. Popularly kept include the grey seal and harbor seal shark and mako shark that mothers nurse their young at.... Of hearing a wide range of frequencies ( e.g have injuries in the Mediterranean and migrated to the.... 50 extinct species have become so numerous that they can detect and escape from predators suffixes that serve emphasize. Dimorphism manifests itself in larger chests and necks, otariids rely on their to! 38 ], pinnipeds themselves are subject to predation to predation 38 ], otariids rely on their well-developed to. [ 123 ] Alternative mating strategies also exist in young male grey seals and walruses are among! Strikes, and the last recorded individual was a good target for Conservation. To leopard seal vs elephant seal to and attract females, defending territories that attract females and their heads to...