Page 18 - World of Animals - Issue #41

Seals: masters of the oceans

Northern elephant seal

T h e s e l a r ge el e p ha n t s o f t h e s e a a r e h i g h l y c o m p e t i t i v e s u i t o r s
These large elephants of the sea are highly competitive suitors
The northern elephant seal is the second Males begin to develop their trunk-like nose
biggest seal in the world after the southern between the ages of three and five as they

elephant seal. Males grow up to four metres become sexually mature. During the breeding
(13 feet) in length and can weigh up to 2,000 season they clamber on to the beaches of
kilograms (4,409 pounds). Females are much California and Baja California to mate. At this
smaller in size, measuring up to three metres time, males deploy their unique appendage in
(10 feet) long and weighing 600 kilograms a fight for dominance, inflating their noses

(1,323 pounds). and roaring at one another.
NORTHERN ELEPHANT
SEAL
Mirounga angustirostris
Class Mammalia

Territory Pacific Ocean

Diet Shark, flatfish, ratfish,

crab, squid, and octopus
Lifespan 17-22 years
Adult weight 2,000kg
(4,500lb)
Conservation status
LEAST CONCERN

Choosing a mate Males are
also stronger
Northern elephant seals are not the most swimmers than
romantic species when it comes to mating females and
are able to stay
During breeding season, pregnant female submerged for as
northern elephant seals will arrive on shore long as two hours

a er the males, and will give birth to their
pups around two to seven days later. They will
then nurse their pups for about 28 days before
beginning to mate again. But unlike some
animals, elephant seals do not have courting
rituals. In fact, breeding season can be quite
violent, as the much bigger males mount the
females without warning, leaving them to
defend themselves aggressively by attempting
to bite the male’s neck and wriggle away.
A er mating, females will return to the water,

© FLPA; Thinkstock next one or two months until they are able to
leaving the pups to fend for themselves for the
learn to hunt for their own food.

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