Everything about Leopard Seal totally explained
The
Leopard Seal (
Hydrurga leptonyx) is the second largest species of seal in the
Antarctic (after the
Southern Elephant Seal), and is near the top of the Antarctic food chain. It is most common in the southern hemisphere along the coast of Antarctica and on most sub-Antarctic islands, but can also be found on the coasts of southern
Australia,
Tasmania,
South Africa,
New Zealand,
Lord Howe Island,
Tierra del Fuego, the
Cook Islands, and the Atlantic coast of
South America. It can live twenty-six years, possibly more.
Orcas are the only natural predators of Leopard Seals.
Along with all of the other
earless seals, it belongs to the
family Phocidae, and is the only
species in the
genus Hydrurga.
Physical description
The Leopard Seal is large and muscular, with a dark grey back and light grey on its stomach. Its throat is whitish with the black spots that give the seal its common name. Females are generally larger than the males. The bulls are usually about and weigh up to, while cows are around in length and weigh up to . Very large females can reach over and weigh over .
Compared to most
phocids, the Leopard Seal is highly evolved for its role as
keystone predator. Although it's a
true seal and swim with its hind limbs, it has powerful and highly developed forelimbs similar to
sea lions, giving it a maneuverability similar to
otariids such as sea lions and
fur seals, a classic example of
convergent evolution. Like these
eared seals, the Leopard Seal is a shallow water hunter, and doesn't dive deep like the other seals of the Antarctic (the
Weddell Seal, the
Ross Seal and the two species of
elephant seals) which can all dive to several hundred meters in search of
squid. The Leopard Seal has an unusually loose jaw that can open more than 160 degrees allowing it to bite larger prey.
Like most carnivores, its front
teeth are sharp, but its
molars lock together in a way that allows them to sieve
krill from the water, similar to the
Crabeater Seal. Its senses of eyesight and smell are highly developed. These senses, coupled with a streamlined body that enable the seal to move swiftly through the water, ensures that it's a formidable predator.
Behavior
The Leopard Seal lives in the cold waters surrounding Antarctica. During the summer months, it hunts among the
pack ice surrounding the continent, spending almost all of their time in the water. In the winter, it ranges north to the
sub-Antarctic islands. Occasionally, individuals may be spotted on the southern coasts of
South America,
Australia, and
New Zealand, and as far north as the
Cook Islands. Juveniles are more often found in the north.
The Leopard Seal is a
solitary creatures and comes together in small groups only when it's time to mate. The female digs a hole in the ice and, after a nine month gestation, the female gives birth to a single pup during the Antarctic summer. She protects the pup until it's able to fend for itself.
The Leopard Seal is bold, powerful and curious. In the water, there's a fine line between curiosity and predatory behavior, and it may 'play' with
penguins that it doesn't intend to eat.
Feeding
The Leopard Seal has
canine teeth that are . It feeds on a wide variety of creatures: smaller seals probably eat mostly krill, but also squid and
fish. Larger Leopard Seals probably switch to feed on
King and
Emperor Penguins, and, less frequently, other seals such as the
Crabeater Seal.
When hunting penguins, the Leopard Seal patrols the waters near the edges of the ice, almost completely submerged, waiting for the birds to enter the ocean. It kills the swimming bird by grabbing the feet, then shaking the penguin vigorously and beating its body against the surface of the water repeatedly until the penguin is dead. Previous reports stating that the Leopard Seal skins its prey prior to feeding have been found to be incorrect. Lacking the teeth necessary to slice its prey into manageable pieces, it flails its prey from side to side in order to tear and rip it into smaller pieces. This is very similar to how a
crocodile tears its prey up as well.
Human attacks
In 2003, a Leopard Seal dragged a snorkeling biologist underwater to her death in what was identified as the first known human
fatality from a Leopard Seal. However, numerous examples of aggressive behavior, stalking, and attacks on humans had been previously documented.
[ The Leopard Seal has previously shown a particular predilection for attacking the black, torpedo-shaped pontoons of rigid inflatable boats, necessitating that researchers equip their craft with special protective guards to prevent them from being punctured. The Leopard Seal has also been known to snap at people's feet through holes in the ice.]
Further Information
Get more info on 'Leopard Seal'.
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