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Harbor seals have a mouth full of teeth, but they don’t use any of them for chewing. Their front teeth are sharp and pointed, and great for grasping and tearing. Back molars are used for crushing the shells of crustaceans and mollusks. Being a pinniped, the Harbor seal can open and close its nostrils.
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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. When diving the seal has a clear membrane that covers and protects its eyes.
- 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.Feb 23, 2024 · The back flippers also feature five digits and they are webbed. When fully open, it looks like a fan. These back flippers help a seal to move along in the water. Those seals that have ears have a mechanism that allows them to be closed before they go under the water. They also close their nostrils to prevent water from entering them as well ...
- Adam Atwood
Oct 13, 2023 · These teeth are vital for catching and eating aquatic prey. The walrus is an oddity among seals. Walruses are odobenids with long tusks. Their extended teeth, or tusks, are used for hunting, defense, breaking ice, and lifting their heavy bodies onto ice floes. Walruses have smaller teeth in the back of their jaws, but their tusks are most notable.
Oct 1, 2022 · Seals have at most 38 teeth. Just like humans and most mammals, seals have teeth. Most seals have between 34 to 38 teeth, while some have a few less than 34 but nothing more than 38. Most seals have really sharp and pointed front teeth. Despite this fact, they do not use their front teeth for chewing.
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On land, seals and sea lions also have different methods for getting around. Sea lions, fur seals, and walruses are able to rotate their rear flippers up and under their bodies so that they can waddle on all four flippers. This enables their agile movement and balance on land. Seals, however, cannot do this and instead shimmy on their bellies.
