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- All true seals have short flippers, which they use to move in a caterpillar-like motion on land. They do not have external ear flaps. Harp seals are about 5 to 6 feet long, weigh about 260 to 300 pounds, and have a robust body with a small, flat head. They have a narrow snout and eight pairs of teeth in both the upper and lower jaws.
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/harp-seal
Seals have shorter limbs than most other mammals. Their limbs have evolved into flippers with true seals having more developed hind flippers and eared seals having more developed fore flippers. A seals eyes are well adapted for seeing both above and below the water.
- Size
- Coloration
- Foreflippers
- Hind Flippers
- Head
- Hair
Males reach about 1.4 to 2.0 m (4.6-6.6 ft.) and 70 to 170 kg (154-375 lb.).Females reach about 1.2 to 1.7 m (3.9-5.6 ft.) and 50 to 150 kg (110-331 lb.).Harbor seals range in color from light gray to silver with dark spots. Some are black or dark gray to brown with white rings. Spots or rings are numerous on the dorsal (back) surface and more sparse on the ventral (underside) surface. In some areas, such as San Francisco Bay, a number of harbor seals have a red or rust coloration from iron oxide de...
Limbs are modified into flippers. The foreflippers, or pectoral flippers, have all the major skeletal elements of the forelimbs of land mammals, but they are foreshortened and modified.A harbor seal's flippers are short and webbed. Each foreflipper has five digits of about equal length.The foreflippers have noticeable claws. The claws are blunt and measure about 2.5 to 5 cm (1-2 in.). Harbor seals use their claws for scratching, grooming, and defense.Foreflippers are covered with hair.Like land mammals, seals have five bony digits in the hind, or pelvic, limbs. The first and fifth digits are long and stout; the middle digits are shorter and thinner.Digits of the hind flippers are webbed. When a harbor seal spreads its hind flippers, the flippers look like wide fans.Like the foreflippers, the hind flippers have claws and are covered with hair.Harbor seals move their hind flippers side-to-side to propel themselves in water. The hind flippers also function as a rudder.A harbor seal has a rounded head with a fairly blunt snout.A harbor seal lacks external ear flaps. Its ear openings close when it dives.Harbor seals have 34 to 36 teeth. The front teeth are pointed and sharp, adapted for grasping and tearing (not chewing) their food. Harbor seals often use their back teeth for crushing shells and c...Vibrissae (whiskers) grow from the thick pads of a seal's upper lip and cheeks. Vibrissae are attached to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves. Vibrissae continually grow throughout a sea...Harbor seals have thick, short hair. The coat is made of coarse guard hairs and finer, but denser underhairs. Each guard hair has three to six underhair fibers attached to the root.The density of a harbor seal's hair increases with age.Glands in the skin secrete oil which helps waterproof the hair.The hair provides no insulation for the harbor seal.To move around, the Harbor seal depends on its flippers. The pectoral, or fore, flippers are short and webbed with five bony digits. The digits are about the same length and each has a blunt claw, around one to two inches long.
Oct 13, 2023 · Some seals, like the crabeater seal, have filter-feeding teeth. Instead of sharp teeth, they have comb-like features to strain krill and other small prey from the water. Most seals have teeth, but their form and function vary by species, demonstrating their extraordinary adaptations.
Sea lions (and fur seals) are distinguished from true seals by their comparably large front flippers, visible ear flaps, and ability to curl their back flippers under their body to walk on all fours. Sea lions are vocal, expressing themselves in loud barks.
Apr 20, 2022 · They have a narrow snout and eight pairs of teeth in both the upper and lower jaws. Their front flippers have thick, strong claws, while their back flippers have smaller, narrower claws. Adult harp seals have light gray fur with a black mask on their face and a curved black patch on their back.
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Feb 23, 2024 · The Otariidae seals have ears that extend from the skull while the Phocidae seals don’t. Those that have ears have hind flippers that they can bury under their bodies. This allows movement to be much easier on land. Those that don’t have ears also have such hind flippers that they drag behind them.
