Seal Facts by Logiee22 (story books to read txt) 📕

the world. The males can weigh up to four tons and the females up to one ton. The males are generally twice as long as the females. The males can be up to 20 feet in length. They are a dark brown to light gray in color just like elephants.

Their heads are much larger than any other type of seal which is a good match for their bodies. The males have what appears to be a trunk that protrudes from the front of their face, which is another reason why they have this particular name associated with them.

Distribution

These particular seals love the rocky island shores out there around the Antarctic. They are found in the various oceans around the world as well. There is approximately 650,000 of them out there. They love to spend most of their time in the water so they need to be in locations that have plenty of food for them as well.

Behavior

It isn’t uncommon to find hundreds and hundreds of these seals enjoying the company of each other. They can be found on land enjoying the sun as it shines down on them. They also like to slide along the rocks even though to onlookers it seems like they are struggling to do so. They definitely find it easier to get around in the water which is why they spend so much of their time in it.

They are known to make very deep and loud sounds that are similar to roars. These will increase by the males as mating season approaches. They make these sounds to gain the attention of the females and at the same time to warn other males that they want to stake a claim in that area.

Diet /Feeding

The main food sources for the Southern Elephant seal are squid and a variety of fish. If these food sources are scarce they may consume penguins that are around their natural habitat. They can dive into the water and not come back up for up to two hours. Research has shown this is possible because they can reduce their heart rate to only one beat per minute while they are in the water.

They have been recorded more than 3,000 feet below the surface in order to find the food they need to survive. A great deal about what we know of such behaviors in the water are the results of satellite data.

Reproduction

There are breeding grounds that the Southern Elephant Seal will move to in August and September. They males will become very aggressive with each other in order to win the right to mate with the females. They may fight each other with their trunks and with their teeth until one of them submits. It isn’t unusually for a dominate male to have up to 50 females that he will mate with in a given season.

The pups are born in the summer, generally only one per female. The milk they receive from their mother contains about 50% fat in it. This allows them to be weaned when they are about 3 weeks of age. They will gain three times their birth weight during that period of time.

Conservation

It is estimated that there are approximately 650,000 Southern Elephant seals left in the world. This is slightly more than just a few years ago which indicates that the current conservation efforts and awareness are helping. However, those numbers are still lower than a comfortable zone. As a result more efforts have been put in place to at least protect their breeding zones.


Weddell Seal


If you had to choose only one word to describe the Weddell Seal, it would like be that they are cute. This species gets plenty of attention due to the physical characteristics that it offers. They can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds. The females tend to be a bit larger than the males. They are a bluish gray in color and feature very long whiskers as well as small cute noses.

Distribution

Of all of the seals out there this one lives the furthest South. Many of them live in an area called McMurdo Sound which is almost 800 miles away from the South Pole.

Behavior

You will find the Weddell Seals in large groups on the icy shores. They spend about 80% of their time though in the icy cold waters around them. They may be hard to see because they will stay well below the surface of the ice. It is a myth that they don’t need to come to the surface to breath. What they do is find cracks in the ice where they can take in a couple of breaths.

They have been seen lying on their backs on the ice with their front flippers over the stomach. Their mouths are open and it appears that they are holding their stomach in laughter. Such humanistic characteristics are part of why these seals are so widely adored. They are very vocal, especially the males. It is believed this is to continually stake their claims on territory they call their own.

Diet /Feeding

The Weddell Seal isn’t a picky eater but it does have its favorites. Among them are krill, fish, and squid. They tend to relax during the day even when they are in the water, then hunt for food at night. They have very good eyesight. They also have great sensations in their whiskers that allow them to pick up vibrations around them.

They can stay under water for up to an hour while hunting for food. Research shows they have the ability to collapse their lungs while in the water so they don’t require as much air. They have sharp teeth but they tend to swallow their food whole until it is too big, then they rip it into manageable pieces.

Reproduction

The males fight for the right to reproduce with the females. The stronger, dominate males are able to choose the females they want to mate with. They will be with many during one mating season. The pups are born in either September or October. The mothers feed these pups milk that are 70% fat which allows them to grow very fast. They are approximately 60 pounds at birth and when they stop nursing at six weeks of age they can be about 200 pounds.

Conservation

Even though conservation groups keep a close eye on the Weddell Seal, they have decent numbers. There are about 800,000 of them out there right now. Older Weddell Seals often suffer due to wear on their teeth. They use them to scrape away at the layers of ice out there in their natural habitat. Some conservation efforts have included moving these older ones into captivity.

Human interaction

There is plenty of documentation of humans touching Weddell Seals because they are so calm. It is due to this fact as well as how appealing they are that they are often the types used for books, movies, and cartoons. People do need to be careful though approaching any Weddell Seal as they are still wild animals.

In the past Weddell seals have been hunted for their meat, oil, and their skins. Such events are deemed illegal in many areas but they still continue to take place by skilled hunters looking to make some money.


Hawaiian Monk Seal


You will find that the overall physical appearance of the Hawaiian Monk Seal makes it look much different from the other species of seals. They have a very light gray coloring to their bodies. The head and the flippers are a darker gray or brownish in color. Some of them feature silver coloring as they get older too.

Distribution

You will find that the Hawaiian Monk Seal lives along the waters of Hawaii. Viewing them is a common pastime of the many tourists and locals around the area. They are well respected by the people of Hawaii. The females are quite a bit larger than the males with this species of seals. Females average about 800 pounds with the males tipping the scales at about 600 pounds. Females are about 8 feet long with males slightly shorter around 7 feet.

Behavior

The fact that this species of seal prefers to live alone or with a few others is part of how it got the “monk” part of its name. They seem to be enjoying the sunny beaches just as much as the tourists. They are often found basking in the warm tropical sun during the daylight hours. Then they hunt for food at night.

They are amazing swimmers which allows them to move around very easily in the water. They also have great vision so they have no trouble at all finding the food they are interested in. They are very quiet types of seals unless it is breeding season. During that period of time they will gather and then afterwards go back to their solitary lifestyles.

Diet /Feeding

Along the coast of Hawaii there is quite a bit of selection when it comes to food for the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Some of their favorites include fish, lobster, eels, and even octopus. They generally don’t have too much trouble finding enough food unless there have been tropical storms that come along and upset the natural balance of things in the area.

Reproduction

The reproduction process is one that is extremely aggressive for all involved. First, the males are aggressive towards each other and fight to mate with the females. Then the males can be aggressive with the females that they wish to make with. Many of the older females have bite marks and other scars that are a result of the mating process.

A huge problem is that there are many more males than females with this type of seal. Many females don’t survive the mating process if too many males are pursuing here. Some of the very young female pups can also be attacked by the males even though they aren’t mature to mate yet if there aren’t enough females around to satisfy them.

Pups are approximately 40 pounds at birth and they can be up to 40 inches in length as well. The mothers won’t leave the pup for the first six weeks of life. This means they don’t feed and so they can lose several hundred pounds.

Conservation

The Hawaiian Monk Seal is currently endangered in spite of the conservation efforts out there. In fact, they are number one on the list of seals when it comes to them being in jeopardy of extinction. There are less than 1,200 of them remaining and that is very scary. As a result it is illegal to harm such an animal in any way.

On average, this type of seal can survive for about 25 years in the wild. In order to help them achieve that, Hawaii has been doing all it can to raise awareness about the needs of these seals. They even officially made it their state mammal in 2008. Many of the Hawaiian Monk Seals have been injured or killed due to the fishing nets out there.


Mediterranean Monk Seal


The males feature dark black hair while the females are dark brown. All of the Mediterranean Monk Seals have a watch patch on them. The size and shape of it is