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The Weddell seal [2] (Leptonychotes weddellii) is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica.The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British sealing captain James Weddell to the area of the Southern Ocean now known as the Weddell Sea. [3]
The crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga), also known as the krill-eater seal, is a true seal with a circumpolar distribution around the coast of Antarctica. They are the only member of the genus Lobodon. They are medium- to large-sized (over 2 m in length), relatively slender and pale-colored, found primarily on the free-floating pack ice that ...
Leopard seal. The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard, [3] is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). Its only natural predator is the orca. [4] It feeds on a wide range of prey including cephalopods, other pinnipeds, krill, fish, and birds, particularly penguins.
The true seal tribe Lobodontini, collectively known as the Antarctic seals or lobodontin seals, consist of four species of seals in four genera: the crabeater seal ( Lobodon carcinophaga ), the leopard seal ( Hydrurga leptonyx ), the Weddell seal ( Leptonychotes weddelli ), and the Ross seal ( Ommatophoca rossii ).
Teeth chattering, hisses and exhalations are also made as aggressive warnings by pinnipeds. Visual displays also occur: Ross seals resting on the ice will show the stripes on their chests and bare their teeth to a perceived threat, while swimming Weddell seals will make an S-shaped posture to intimidate rivals under the ice. [115]
Earless seal. The earless seals, phocids, or true seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal lineage, Pinnipedia. All true seals are members of the family Phocidae (/ ˈfoʊsɪdiː /). They are sometimes called crawling seals to distinguish them from the fur seals and sea lions of the family Otariidae.
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 oil by the end of the 19th century, but their numbers have since recovered.
Erebus Bay is home to the most southerly breeding population of Weddell seals in the world. They have been studied intensively since 1968. As of 2022 a database held data for 28,000 marked seals, and held detailed information on individual seals and on populations. The seals are easy to approach and tag while they are rearing their pups, and ...