Wever Blogs: September 2014

Original artwork by blogger

Seals are a type of mammal called pinnipeds.

The word pinnipedia translates from Latin "feather or fin foot'' referring to their often large fin like flippers.

Sea lions and Walruses are also pinnipeds.

Elephant seal. Look at the flippers

All pinnipeds must come ashore to give birth and to nurse their young.

Look all the different kinds of pinnipeds

Question: What is the difference between seals and sea lions?

DIFFERENCE #1: Sea lions use their front flippers for swimming and seals use their back flippers.

DIFFERENCE #2: Sea lions have ear flaps and seals have small openings for ears.

DIFFERENCE #3: Sea lions have longer front flippers and
seals have short front flippers.

DIFFERENCE #4: Sea lions have rear flippers that helps them walk on land and seals flop on their bellies.

DIFFERENCE #5: Sea lions have less blubber then seals.

Here is a short video to show the differences between seals and sea lions.

DIFFERENCE #6: Sea lions bark and seals make grunting sounds.

Here is another short video of the differences between seals and sea lions.

Question: Where in the world can you find seals?

In the green areas below is where seals live.

Map of where seals can be found in the world

You can find seals in the cold regions and the warm regions of Antarctic.

Question: How many different types of seals are there?

There are 19 different kinds of seals.
These are just a few:

Leopard seal
Harp seal
Harbor seal
Grey seal
Northern and Southern Elephant seals
Weddell seal
Hawaiian and Mediterranean Monk seals
Crabeater seal
Fur seal
Hooded seal.

Look at all the different kinds of seals

Question: What do seals eat?

Seal favorite foods are shrimp,fish,crabs, mollusks,squid and octopus.

Squid

Fish

Crab

Mollusks

Question: What eats seals?

A Polar bear pulling a seal out of its
home

Sharks love seals for their favorite treat. Whales love seals. Polar bears also hunt seals.

A Great White shark attacking a seal

Question: How fast do seals swim?

The fastest seal is the California seal that can swim 25 mph for 3 to 5 minutes. Leopard seal swim a bit slower.They can swim about 22 mph.The Harp seal and Gray seal swim about 20 mph.A Crabeater seal can swim 16 mph. An Elephant seal can swim a bit slower.They can swim 10 to 15 mph.

Seal	Swim Speed (mph)	Swim speed km/h
California seal	25 mph	40.2
Leopard seal	22 mph	35.4
Harp seal	20 mph	32.2
Grey seal	20 mph	32.2
Crabeater seal	16 mph	25.7
Elephant seal	10 - 15 mph	16.1 – 24.1

Question: How big can seals be?

Seal	Weight (kg)	Length (m)
Elephant seal	3,600	4.5
Weddell seal	544	3
Grey seal	250-400	2-3
Leopard seal	380	3-3.5
Fur seal	317	3.1
Hawaiian monk seal	170-205	2.1-2.3
Harp Seal	136-181	1.5-1.8
Ringed seal	32-140	1.0-1.75

Southern Elephant seal are the largest seal in the world.
Elephant seals can weigh about 3,600 kilos and grow up to 4.5 meters tall. The smallest seal is the ringed seal. An adult Ringed seal can be 100-175 cm long and can weigh 32-140 kg.