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There are several animals that are like seals, but these 9 are some of the most common found around the world. Some of these animals, such as sea lions and walruses look similar to seals, while other animals like polar bears and beluga whales share the same habitat.
The nine animals discussed in this article, including sea lions, polar bears, walruses, sea otters, bottlenose dolphins, beluga whales, dugongs, narwhals, and marine otters, share similarities with seals in terms of appearance, diet, habitat, and predators.
Sep 26, 2024 · There are two types of seals: the earless, or true, seals (family Phocidae); and the eared seals (family Otariidae), which comprise the sea lions and fur seals. In addition to the presence of external ears, eared seals have longer flippers than do earless seals.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Brown Fur Seal. Scientific name: Arctocephalus pusillus. Size: 47-71 in. Weight: 80-660 lb. Found In: Africa and Australia. Brown fur seals are known under several names like Cape fur seals, South African fur seals, and Australian fur seals.
- Sea Otter. Scientific name: Enhydra lutris. Size: 47-59 in. Weight: 31-99 lb. Found In: North America and Asia. With weights of up to 100 pounds, sea otters are the heaviest members of the weasel family.
- Northern Fur Seal. Scientific name: Callorhinus ursinus. Size: 56-84 in. Weight: 88-600 lb. Found In: North America and Asia. Northern fur seals are eared seals found along the Northern Pacific Ocean, the sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering sea.
- Walrus. Scientific name: Odobenus rosmarus. Size: 12 ft. Weight: 2,200-4,400 lb. Found In: North America, Asia, and Europe. Walruses are large marine mammals that live in freezing waters near the Arctic Circle.
Seals, walruses, whales, otters, and others rely on the back end of their bodies—their tail—to produce thrust. Instead, the sea lion tail is used like a rudder. By using their front flippers, sea lions are easily the fastest group of pinnipeds.
Nov 28, 2023 · Seals and sea lions are both pinnipeds, which means they have front and rear flippers. While these sleek, flipper-footed marine mammals may look similar at first glance, they are distinct families of animals with unique characteristics.
According to the IUCN’s classifications, seven seal species are “Endangered” or “EN” including the Hawaiian fur seal, the Galapagos fur seal, and the Australian sea lion. Three are categorized as “Vulnerable” or “VU” – the northern fur seal, the hooded seal, and the walrus.
