home deepsea about us contact us  
 

Deepseawaters HomeDeepsea Animals Seals

Seals

SealsSeals belong to a group of mammals known as "pinnipeds". All pinnipeds have streamlined bodies and limbs modified into flippers. Pinnipeds are divided into three families: walruses, true seals and eared seals. True seals do not have external ears, cannot turn their hind flippers forward, and have fur on both surfaces of their flippers. New Zealand examples include the leopard seal and southern elephant seal.

Eared seals include fur seals and sea lions. They have external ears, hind flippers they can turn forward under the body and no fur on their flippers.

A large group of seals is called a herd and breeding colonies are called rookeries. Adult males are called bulls and females are called cows, while a young seal is a pup. Immature males are sometimes called bachelors or vagrants.

Three families of living pinnipeds are recognized, the Phocidae (hair seals or true seals), the Otaridae (fur seals and sea lions) and the Odobenidae (walrus). The term pinnipedia translates from Latin as "fin foot." All of these animals must come ashore to breed, give birth and nurse their young, though some species are at sea for several months at a time while others return to the shore every day.

Phocid seals include elephant seals, several species of ice seals (some are found in fresh water lakes) and the harbor seal of temperate coastlines. The monk seals are found in the Mediterranean Sea and Hawaii. Four phocid species inhabit the Antarctic ice pack. All of these seals have a vertical undulating motion when they move on land. The pelvic architecture does not provide a stable anchor point for the rear flippers to engage the ground for propulsion and the rear flippers are directed rearward.

The Otarids, fur seals and sea lions, are found in temperate colder waters and are associated in tropical latitudes with cold water upwelling currents. They have external ear flaps. The arm pit or axilla encloses the forelimbs to about the level of the forearm. In all the pinnipeds the hind limb e.g. rear legs are enclosed to the level of the ankle. Sea lions and fur seals can rotate their hind feet forward and therefore use the pelvic architecture in propelling themselves forward with considerable speed.

The walruses, Odobenidae, are found in recent times in Arctic ice pack areas, both Pacific and Atlantic but in colonial times were found as far south as Sable Island off Nova Scotia. They are very similar to the Otarids in locomotion. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act walruses are within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Different Types of Seals:

Australian Fur Seals

Carribbean Monk Seals

Crabeater seals

Elephant Seals

Harbor Seals

Hawaiian Monk Seals

Leopard Seals

Northern Elephant Seals

Northern Fur Seals

Southern Elephant Seals


Email To Friend

 

Home | Deep Sea | About Us | Contact Us | Deepsea Blog | Deepsea Articles | Deepsea Calendar | Birmingham Remortgage | San Francisco Airport Shuttle | Sap Jobs | Health Insurance California | Jaw Chuck | Granite Countertops | halloween costumes| Girls costumes