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Pinnipeds (pronounced / ˈ p ɪ n ɪ ˌ p ɛ d z /), commonly known as seals, [a] are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals.
- Seals Are Related to Bears, Skunks, and Badgers
- "Earless" True Seals Actually Do Have Ears
- The Largest Seal Weighs More Than Four Tons
- Mothers and Pups Bond with A Unique Call
- They Have "Smokers' Blood" to Help Survive Deep Dives
- The Baikal Seal Is The World's only Freshwater Pinniped
- Their Brain Temperature Drops When They Dive
- They Can Eat A Lot of Seafood
- Climate Change Is Their Newest Threat
Evolutionary biologists have been arguing over seals' origins for more than a century. While relatively sure that pinnipeds evolved from land-dwelling carnivores, scientists are divided on the precise steps that occurred between terrestrial ancestors and modern marine mammals. Along with the three subclades of pinniped, the suborder Caniformia cont...
Seals' ability to hear can vary between species. "Earless" seals lack an external ear flap, present on fur seals and sea lions, but they still have ears present beneath the surface of the skin. True seals (phocids) hear higher frequencies under water than otariids (fur seals and sea lions), and the opposite is true for airborne sounds. All pinniped...
A male southern elephant seal has an average weight of 8,000 pounds—quite the hefty seal fact—while females are much smaller. This drastically contrasts the smallest seal in the family of otariids, the Galapagos fur seal, which ranges between 60 to 140 pounds on average.Almost all seals, with the exception of the nearly-hairless walrus, are covered...
Researchers performed vocalization playback experiments on 18 breeding female harbor seals to assess their abilities to recognize the calls of their pups and to evaluate the effect of maternal protectiveness. They found that mothers were more responsive to the calls of their own pup than to non-filial pups after only three days. Mother seals' respo...
Both seals and heavy human smokers have high levels of carbon monoxide in their bloodstreams, a lesser-known seal fact. While humans acquire it from burning tobacco, researchers think seals' blood carbon monoxide levels are connected to their deep dives. One study found that elephant seals' blood is around 10% carbon monoxide, which researchers att...
One of the smallest true seals, the Baikal represents the seal's evolutionary journey from terrestrial to semi-aquatic, when seals likely spent time in freshwater before making their transition from land to oceans. Lake Baikal, a freshwater lake in Siberia, is home to a whole host of interesting creatures and is the oldest and deepest lake on the p...
Research on hooded seals illustrated a drop in brain temperature by 3 degrees Celsius over the course of a 15-minute dive, in a process designed to reduce oxygen consumption by the brain. The seals circulated cold blood to the brain through the large superficial veins from their front flippers, ultimately reducing the brain's oxygen demand by an es...
Because seals are typically found along coastlines, they primarily consume fish, squid, and shrimp, as well as other crustaceans, mollusks, and zooplankton organisms. Researchers theorize that their terrestrial ancestors were insectivores.Larger seals can eat 10 pounds of food per day. As some populations have increased in recent decades, researche...
In the last century, both the Japanese sea lion and the Caribbean monk seal have become extinct, the latter considered a harbinger of human-caused extinction in coral reef systems. Historically, seals have faced threats from hunting, accidental trapping, marine pollution, and conflicts with local people.More recently, seals face a new threat in the...
Sep 26, 2024 · Seals are carnivore s, eating mainly fish, though some also consume squid, other mollusk s, and crustacean s. Unlike other seals, the leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) of the Antarctic feeds largely on penguins, seabirds, and other seals, in addition to fish and krill.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Seals are carnivorous and dive underwater to hunt for fish, crustaceans, seabirds, and other marine animals. Whales, sharks, and even other seals are the primary non-human predators of seals.
Jul 13, 2023 · Seals are carnivorous. Seals primarily feed on fish, squid, and other marine invertebrates. Their diet varies depending on their habitat and the availability of prey in their surroundings. Seals are excellent divers. Seals can dive to impressive depths in search of food.
Feb 9, 2023 · Despite their numerous differences, all seal species are carnivorous. Most species prey on fish, but a few have more selective diets, like the Crabeater seal that eats only krill. What Makes Up The Seal’s Diet?
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May 27, 2024 · Are Seals herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores? Seals are Carnivores, meaning they eat other animals. What Kingdom do Seals belong to? Seals belong to the Kingdom Animalia. What phylum do Seals belong to? Seals belong to the phylum Chordata. What class do Seals belong to? Seals belong to the class Mammalia. What family do Seals belong to?
