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Elephant seals or sea elephants are very large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus Mirounga.Both species, the northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris) and the southern elephant seal (M. leonina), were hunted to the brink of extinction for lamp oil by the end of the 19th century, but their numbers have since recovered.
The northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the southern elephant seal). It is a member of the family Phocidae (true seals ). Elephant seals derive their name from their great size and from the male's large proboscis , which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises ...
Pinnipeds range in size from the 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) and 50 kg (110 lb) Baikal seal to the 6 m (20 ft) and 3,700 kg (8,200 lb) male southern elephant seal, which is also the largest member of Carnivora. [1]
A southern elephant seal's eyes are large, round, and black. The width of the eyes, and a high concentration of low-light pigments, suggest sight plays an important role in the capture of prey. Like all seals, elephant seals have hind limbs whose ends form the tail and tail fin. Each of the "feet" can deploy five long, webbed fingers.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 7 January 2025. Taxonomic group of semi-aquatic mammals Pinnipeds Temporal range: Latest Oligocene – Holocene, 24–0 Ma Pre๊ ๊ O S D C P T J K Pg N Clockwise from top left: Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri), walrus ...
There’s a reason the male elephant seals lounging on the sand look a bit ratty.
Male and female northern elephant seal, the male being larger with a big proboscis. Marine mammals show some of the greatest sexual size differences of mammals, because of sexual selection and environmental factors like breeding location. [92] The mating system of pinnipeds varies from polygamy to serial monogamy.
The skull of the leopard seal. The leopard seal has a distinctively long and muscular body shape when compared to other seals. The overall length of adults is 2.4–3.5 m (7.9–11.5 ft) and their weight is in the range 200 to 600 kilograms (440 to 1,320 lb), making them the same length as the northern walrus but usually less than half the weight.