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The Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) is one of eight seals in the genus Arctocephalus, and one of nine fur seals in the subfamily Arctocephalinae.Despite what its name suggests, the Antarctic fur seal is mostly distributed in Subantarctic islands [3] and its scientific name is thought to have come from the German vessel SMS Gazelle, which was the first to collect specimens of this ...
IUCN status and estimated population Antarctic fur seal. A. gazella (Peters, 1875) Subantarctic islands: Size: Male: 180 cm (71 in) long; 130–200 kg (287–441 lb)
The subantarctic fur seal is medium in size compared with other fur seals. The two sexes are strongly sexually dimorphic: males grow to 2 m and 160 kg, whereas females are substantially smaller—1.4 m and 50 kg. Subantarctic fur seals have creamy-orange chests and faces. Their bellies are more brownish.
Since then the populations have generally increased and are protected. Seals breeding on Heard include the southern elephant seal, the Antarctic fur seal and the subantarctic fur seal. Leopard seals visit regularly in winter to haul-out though they do not breed on the islands. Crabeater, Ross and Weddell seals are occasional visitors. [40]
Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals, in contrast, while doing much of their feeding at the edge of the continent, breed on subantarctic islands, such as South Georgia. Warmblooded prey makes up a significant proportion of the leopard seal 's diet, and is occasionally taken by Antarctic fur seals.
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The Antarctic fur seal was very heavily hunted in the 18th and 19th centuries for its pelt by seal hunters from the United States and the United Kingdom. [117] Leopard seals are apex predators in the Antarctic ecosystem and migrate across the Southern Ocean in search of food. [118]
Bird flu is likely to spread further in the Antarctic region, causing immense damage to wildlife, according to experts on the highly contagious disease that has killed hundreds of millions of ...