Search results
Protect endangered species, including the seal, at World Wildlife Fund. Learn about the ways WWF works to conserve a future where people live in harmony with nature.
- Arctic Wolf
Unlike other species of wolf, the Arctic wolf rarely comes...
- Brown Bear
Brown bears are not listed as an endangered species—in fact,...
- Stories
In the US, we have turkey vultures, black vultures, and...
- Photos & Videos
World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt...
- Adopt a Harbor Seal
World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt...
- Narwhal
Thousands of years of evolution have prepared Arctic species...
- Bowhead Whale
Protect endangered species, including the bowhead whale, at...
- Marine Iguana
Introduced species such as cats, rats, dogs and pigs prey on...
- Arctic Wolf
Gray seals are gregarious animals—they gather in large groups on shore to breed, give birth, and molt. Female gray seals live up to 35 years and males about 25 years. Gray seals primarily hunt squid, fish, and sandeels; their main predators are humans, sharks, and orcas. Gray seal pups are born in autumn (September to November) in the eastern ...
- What Kind of Creature Is The Seal?
- What’s The Scientific Name For Seals?
- What Does A Seal Look like?
- How Many Seals Are There in The World?
- What Are The Three Different Types of Seals?
- The Etymology of The Seal
- The Taxonomic Hierarchy of Seals
- What’s The Evolution of The Seal?
- The Anatomy and Physiology of The Seal
- Where Are Seals Found?
Seals are aquatic mammals, but they are more closely related to bears and skunks than any other marine mammals. That could be because they were once exclusively terrestrial, living entirely on dry land, but more about that later. Unlike other marine mammals, seals spend long periods on land using nearby oceans and lakes for foraging and hunting. Mo...
Seals are scientifically known as pinnipeds, which means fin-footed, and all seals have fin-shaped feet, or feet-shaped fins, depending on your perspective. This is one of just a couple of characteristics that all seals share, with the other being a fusiform or torped0-shaped body that tapers at both ends.
Whenever I think of seals, my mind automatically conjures up images of cute, furry Harp seal pups with their thick white coats and big, black eyes. Not all seals look like that; in fact, even adult Harp seals bear little resemblance to their pups. It’s difficult to see the similarities between an 8,800-pound walrus and a 20-pound seal pup, but ther...
There are so many different species of seals living in a diverse range of ocean and freshwater habitats that it’s difficult for anyone to accurately estimate the current world population. However, one thing’s for sure – while some populations are thriving, others are decreasing rapidly due to a variety of threats. According to the International Uni...
The 32 species of seals are divided into three species, with the first being the true seals. True seals appeared to have no ears, so also called earless seals. They do have ears; they just don’t have external ear flaps. Instead, the entire organ is hidden under their skin. That’s only one of many secrets we will reveal in this article! Species of e...
I struggled to track the exact origins of the word ‘seal,’ although some sources suggest that it could have come from an old European word meaning “to pull” or plow. Although that makes some sense, as seals do plow their way through the water, it’s by no means as descriptive as the Dutch word. They call it the “zeehond,” which means sea hound, and ...
Seals are mammals and, as such, belong to the Mammalian class along with over 6,000 other species. Within the class Mammalia, there are 26 different orders, of which seals fall into the order Carnivora, which also includes wolves, bears, hyenas, and dogs. Seals have their own sub-order, pinnipeds, but are divided into different families based on th...
In the dim and distant past, seals lived on the land just like most other members of the Carnivora order. When scientists discovered an Arctic fossil dating back some 20 million years, the evolution of the seal became much clearer. The Puijila darwini was an otter-like creature that lived on land but had webbed feet that enabled it to swim well eno...
Regardless of whether they’re Harbor seals or Ringed seals, all seals are shaped a little like bowling pins, with small heads and large, rounded bodies that taper towards their hind flippers. As they evolved into marine mammals, they adapted to their new environment, developing ingenious ways to regulate their body temperatures while developing acu...
Seals live in coastal waters all over the world, with different species inhabiting different climates and habitats. Northern fur seals and Monk seals are the most common species in the North Pacific, while the Southern Ocean is dominated by the highly specialized Crabeater seal. Up in the Arctic Ocean, you can expect to encounter any one of the six...
- Size and Weight: True seals range in size from the 3 feet and 100 pounds Baikal seal to the 16 feet and 7,100 pounds southern elephant seal male. The southern elephant seal male is not only the largest seal species but is also the largest member of the order Carnivora.
- Appearance: Seal appearance varies among the species. However, all species have feet-shaped fins, allowing for these species to be expert swimmers. Most species have thick layers of fat, also known as blubber, to keep the animals warm in cold oceans, in addition to dense fur.
- Diet: Seals are opportunistic carnivores, eating mainly fish while in the water.
- Habitat: All pinniped species are considered semi-aquatic marine mammals that spend some of their time at sea and the other part of their lives on land or sea ice.
The “sea wolves” were actually a species of seals known as the Caribbean monk seal, a species that is now extinct. European colonizers hunted these seals in earnest between the 1700s and the 1900s, with the seal’s blubber fetching a significant price in a world that ran on animal oil.
The first Global Tree Assessment shows 38% of the world’s trees are threatened, according to the IUCN Red List. The latest update of the Red List also highlights the Western European hedgehog is in decline, causing its status to increase to Near Threatened. Read the full article on IUCN. 2024-10-28.
People also ask
Are Hawaiian monk seals Endangered?
How many types of seals are there?
Are monk seals extinct?
Who were the Sea Wolves?
What type of animal is a seal?
Are pinnipeds endangered?
Jun 11, 2024 · Credit: NOAA Fisheries Hawaiian monk seal research program. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world. The population overall had been declining for six decades and current numbers, though increasing, are only about one-third of historic population levels. Importantly, however, the current upward trend is in ...
