The dramatic landscape of Antarctica is home to six species of seal.
Lying at the southern most tip of the world, Antarctica is the coldest, driest place on Earth. Only a few species of mammal live there, the majority of which are seals. Six species of seal live in Antarctica, either on the ice-pack or in the surrounding waters. Highly specialized for the harsh environment, these species comprise the vast majority of the worldwide seal population, according to Marianne Riedman, author of "The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses."
Weddell Seals
Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) are one of the most abundant seal species in Antarctica, with over 800,000 specimens throughout the region, according to Reidman. They are large animals, reaching nine feet in length and weighing as much as 1,300 pounds. Males and females are roughly the same size with slight outward physical differences. Females have a slightly elongated neck and a more streamlined face compared to their male counterparts. Both sexes are covered in thick, mottled fur that is dark in color, featuring a pale area on the belly. Unlike other seal species in Antarctica, Weddell seals prefer to live on shoreline ice packs rather than on free-floating icebergs.
Southern Elephant Seals
Despite being hunted to near extinction in the nineteenth century, southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) have that reach over 15 feet in length and weighing as much as 11,000 pounds and females topping out at 10 feet in length and 2,000 pounds, states Riedman. Typically dark grayish-brown in color, southern elephant seals are born jet-black and later achieve their adult coloration over several years. They are adept divers, sometimes spending as much as 20 minutes underwater, hunting for squid.
Leopard Seals
Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic, according to biologist Hadoram Shirihai, in his book, "The Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife: Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean." Named for its freckled coat, leopard seals were once hunted extensively for their fur. They are the most aquatic seals in the region, spending the majority of their time in the water. Although they hunt krill, which they gather using specialized, tightly-meshing molars, their preferred prey are penguins and smaller seals. They are mostly solitary, coming together only to mate.
Ross Seals
Found exclusively on the ice-packs of Antarctica, Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) are the smallest and least common pinniped (meaning "fin-footed") species in the region. They average six feet in length at maturity, with a weight of between 275 to 500 pounds. Their fur is white at birth, later maturing to a dark-brown color, featuring a pale belly. Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of Ross seals are their eyes, which are large in proportion to their face. Little is known or understood about Ross seals, given their scarcity and shy nature, but researchers believe that approximately 150,000 specimens live on the ice-packs of Antarctica, posits Riedman.
Antarctic Fur Seals
Although they are called seals, Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) are in fact more closely related to sea lions, states Shirihai. They differ from true seals in their physical makeup, which includes having external ears and strong front flippers. Nearly black at birth, they mature into a wide palette of color variations, including dark gray, brown and even blond. They feed primarily on krill, consuming approximately one ton per year. After being commercially hunted, nearly to extinction, in the nineteenth century, only a small colony of Antarctic fur seals remained, but their population has since quickly recovered.
Crabeater Seals
The crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) is the most numerous seal species in the world, numbering well over 20 million, states Riedman. They are primarily krill-eaters, culling large quantities of the shrimp-like creatures through specially-evolved, tightly-meshed teeth. Relatively small, with a lithe body structure, crabeater seals are well-adapted to fast, long-distance swimming, as well as moving quickly over ice-packs. They are common prey for leopard seals, due to their small size and non-aggressive nature.
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