M. angustirostris The Northern Elephant Seal is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the Southern Elephant Seal). It is a member of the Phocidae ("true seals") family. 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, especially during the M. leonina The Southern Elephant Seal is one of two species of elephant seal. It is not only the most massive pinniped but also the largest member of the order Carnivora to have ever lived. The seal gets its name from its great size and the large proboscis of the adult males, which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the

Elephant seals are large, oceangoing seals The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. All true seals are members of the family Phocidae . They are sometimes called crawling seals to distinguish them from the fur seals and sea lions of the family Otariidae. Seals live in the oceans of both hemispheres and are mostly in the genus In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank (a taxon) used in the classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender", cognate with Greek: γένος – genos, "race, stock, kin" Mirounga. There are two species: the Northern Elephant Seal The Northern Elephant Seal is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the Southern Elephant Seal). It is a member of the Phocidae ("true seals") family. 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, especially during the (M. angustirostris) and the Southern Elephant Seal The Southern Elephant Seal is one of two species of elephant seal. It is not only the most massive pinniped but also the largest member of the order Carnivora to have ever lived. The seal gets its name from its great size and the large proboscis of the adult males, which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the (M. leonina). Both were hunted to the brink of extinction by the end of the nineteenth century, but numbers have since recovered. The Northern Elephant Seal, somewhat smaller than its southern relative, ranges over the Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east coast of the U.S. ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language, Canada The land occupied by Canada was inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three and Mexico In Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory, which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain which would eventually become Mexico. The most northerly breeding location on the Pacific Coast is at Race Rocks, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about 95 miles (153 km) long forming the principal outlet for the Georgia Strait and Puget Sound, connecting both to the Pacific Ocean. It provides part of the international boundary between the United States and Canada. The Southern Elephant Seal is found in the southern hemisphere The Southern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is south of the equator—the word hemisphere (from the Greek word σφαιρα +ημι(half)) literally means 'half ball'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere south of the celestial equator on islands such as South Georgia South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. This territory is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is about 170 kilometres (110 mi) long and 2 to 40 km (1.2 to 25 miles), Macquarie Island Macquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between New Zealand and Antarctica. 54°37'53"S, 158°52'15"E. Politically, it has formed part of the Australian state of Tasmania since 1900 and became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978. In 1997 it became a world heritage site. It was a part of Esperance, and on the coasts of New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also, South Africa Coordinates: 29°02′46″S 25°03′47″E / 29.046°S 25.063°E The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a 2,798 kilometres coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an independent, and Argentina The Argentine claims in Antarctica along with the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands (administered by the United Kingdom) shown in light green in the Peninsula Valdés, which is the fourth largest elephant seal colony in the world.

Contents

Description

Male Southern Elephant Seal The Southern Elephant Seal is one of two species of elephant seal. It is not only the most massive pinniped but also the largest member of the order Carnivora to have ever lived. The seal gets its name from its great size and the large proboscis of the adult males, which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the in Kerguelen Islands The Kerguelen Islands , also known as Desolation Island, are a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean. The islands are a territory of France. There are no indigenous inhabitants, but France maintains a permanent presence of 50 to 100 scientists, engineers and researchers

Elephant seals take their name from the large proboscis In general, a proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate of the adult males (bulls) which resembles an elephant Elephants are large land mammals in two genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta. Three species of elephant are living today: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant . All other species and genera of Elephantidae are extinct, some since the last ice age: dwarf forms of mammoths may have's trunk.[1] The bull's proboscis is used in producing extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating In biology, mating is the pairing of opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for copulation and in social animals it also includes the raising of their offspring. For animals, mating methods include random mating, disassortative mating, assortative mating, or a mating pool season A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight. More importantly, however, the nose acts as a sort of rebreather A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where humans cannot safely breathe from the atmosphere. In, filled with cavities designed to reabsorb moisture from the animals' exhalations. This is important during the mating season when the male seals rarely leave the beach to feed and therefore must conserve body moisture as they have no incoming source of water. Bulls of both the Northern Elephant Seal and the Southern Elephant Seal reach a length of 16 ft A foot is a non-SI unit of length in a number of different systems including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. Its size can vary from system to system, but in each is around a quarter to a third of a meter. The most commonly used foot today is the international foot. There are three feet in a yard and 12 inches in a (5 m) and a weight of 6,000 lb The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement. A number of different definitions have been used, the most common today being the international avoirdupois pound of exactly 0.45359237 kilograms (2,700 kg) and are much larger than the cows, which typically measure about 10 ft (3 m) and 1,900 lb (900 kg).[2][3] The largest known bull elephant seal weighed 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) and measured 22.5 ft (6.9 m) in length.[citation needed] This makes the elephant seal the largest member of the order Carnivora The diverse order Carnivora (pronounced /kɑrˈnɪvərə/ or sometimes /ˌkɑrnɪˈvɔərə/; from Latin carō "flesh", + vorāre "to devour") includes over 260 species of placental mammals. Its members are formally referred to as carnivorans, while the word "carnivore" (often popularly applied to members of this.

Physiology

Male Northern Elephant Seals fighting in California California's geography ranges from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east, to Mojave desert areas in the southeast and the Redwood–Douglas fir forests of the northwest. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. California is the most

Elephant seals spend upwards of 80 percent of their lives in the ocean. They can hold their breath for more than 100 minutes[4][5]—longer than any other non-cetacean The order Cetacea (pronounced /sɨˈteɪʃə/, L. cetus, whale, from Greek) includes the marine mammals commonly known as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning, "large sea animal", was more general. It comes from Ancient Greek κῆτος (kētos), mammal. Elephant seals dive to 1550 m beneath the ocean's surface[6] (the deepest recorded dive of an Elephant Seal is 2,388 metres (7,835 ft) by a Southern Elephant Seal).[7] The average depth of their dives is about 300 to 600 metres (2,000 ft), typically for around 20 min for females and 60 min (1 hour) for males, as they search for their favorite foods, which are skates Skates are cartilaginous fish belonging to the family Rajidae in the superorder Batoidea of rays. There are more than 200 described species in 27 genera. There are two subfamilies, Rajinae and Arhynchobatinae (softnose skates), rays Rajiformes is one of the four orders of batoids, flattened cartilaginous fishes related to sharks, squid Squid are marine cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two longer tentacles, octopuses The octopus is a cephalopod of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms and like other cephalopods are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms. Most octopuses have no internal or external skeleton, allowing them to squeeze through tight places. Octopuses are highly, eels Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 19 families, 110 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators. The term "eel" is also used for some other similarly shaped fish, such as electric eels and spiny eels, but these are not members of the Anguilliformes order, penguin (Southerns only), and small sharks Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago, before the time of the dinosaurs. Their stomachs also often contain gastroliths A gastrolith, also called a stomach stone or gizzard stones, is a rock held inside a gastrointestinal tract. Gastroliths are retained in the muscular gizzard and used to grind food in animals lacking suitable grinding teeth. The grain size depends upon the size of the animal and the gastrolith's role in digestion. Other species use gastroliths as. While excellent swimmers, they are also capable of rapid movement on land, where they have a higher speed than the average human when moving over sand dunes.

Elephant seals are shielded from extreme cold by their blubber Blubber is a thick layer of vascularized fat found under the skin of all cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians, more so than by fur. The animals' hair and outer layers of skin molt periodically. The skin has to be re-grown by blood vessels reaching through the blubber. When molting occurs, the seal is susceptible to the cold, and must rest on land, in a safe place called a "haul-out". While the molt is taking place the bulls cease fighting with one another as there are not breeding harems and females in estrous to protect. Northern males 'haul out' in August, and females in May–June.

Elephant seals have a very large volume of blood, allowing them to hold a large amount of oxygen for use when diving.[citation needed] They have large sinuses in their abdomens to hold blood and can also store oxygenated blood in their muscles with increased myoglobin Myoglobin is an iron- and oxygen-binding protein found in the muscle tissue of vertebrates in general and in almost all mammals. It is related to hemoglobin, which is the iron- and oxygen-binding protein in blood, specifically in the red blood cells. The only time myoglobin is found in the bloodstream is when it is released following muscle injury concentrations in muscle.[citation needed] In addition they have a larger proportion of oxygen-carrying red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate organism's principal means of delivering oxygen (O2) to the body tissues via the blood flow through the circulatory system. They take up oxygen in the lungs or gills and release it while squeezing through the body's capillaries.[citation needed] These adaptations contribute to allow the elephant seal to dive to such depths and remain underwater for up to 100 minutes.[citation needed]

Lifespan

Female elephant seals have an average life expectancy of about 23 years, and can give birth starting at the age of 4–5. Males reach maturity at five years, but generally do not achieve alpha In social animals, the alpha is the individual in the community with the highest rank. Where one male and one female fulfill this role, they are referred to as the alpha pair . Other animals in the same social group may exhibit deference or other symbolic signs of respect particular to their species towards the alpha status until the age of 8, with the prime breeding years being between ages 9 and 12. The average life expectancy of a male elephant seal is 20 years. Only 1 in 10 males will become an alpha or beta male.

Gallery

Elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) on a beach, San Simeon, California

Male, female and pup

Northern Elephant Seals The Northern Elephant Seal is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the Southern Elephant Seal). It is a member of the Phocidae ("true seals") family. 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, especially during the during moulting In biology, moulting signifies the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body (often but not always an outer layer or covering), either at specific times of year, or at specific points in its life-cycle season near San Simeon, California California's geography ranges from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east, to Mojave desert areas in the southeast and the Redwood–Douglas fir forests of the northwest. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. California is the most, USA ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language

Two bull males fighting

Elephant seal snout The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous. It can refer both to the protruding part of the face itself, and also to a type of apparatus placed over the protruding part to prevent the animal from biting or eating, often used before and after horse races or to control dogs. See animal muzzle for the latter meaning

Juvenile southern elephant seal

See also

References

  1. ^ Mirounga. "Elephant Seal, Elephant Seal Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic". Animals.nationalgeographic.com. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/elephant-seal.html. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  2. ^ "Elephant Seals". Parks.ca.gov. 2007-05-23. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1115. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  3. ^ "Elephant Seal - MSN Encarta". Encarta.msn.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/5kwbhJNuj. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
  4. ^ "BBC NEWS". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4736196.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  5. ^ "Southern Elephant Seals of Sea Lion Island - A Long-term Research Project". www.eleseal.org. http://www.eleseal.org/pdf_lay/book_2004.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  6. ^ Amos, Jonathan (2006-02-21). "BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Elephant seals dive for science". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4736196.stm. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  7. ^ "Census of Marine Life - From the Edge of Darkness to the Black Abyss". Coml.org. http://www.coml.org/comlfiles/press/CoML_Beyond_Sunlight_11.17.2009_Public.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-15.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mirounga
Extant Carnivora The diverse order Carnivora (pronounced /kɑrˈnɪvərə/ or sometimes /ˌkɑrnɪˈvɔərə/; from Latin carō "flesh", + vorāre "to devour") includes over 260 species of placental mammals. Its members are formally referred to as carnivorans, while the word "carnivore" (often popularly applied to members of this species
Kingdom: Animalia Animals are a major group of mostly multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and independently. All animals are also · Phylum: Chordata Chordates are animals which are either vertebrates or one of several closely related invertebrates. They are united by having, for at least some period of their life cycle, a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle, and a post-anal tail. The phylum Chordata consists of three subphyla: Urochordata, represented by · Class: Mammalia Mammals are a class of vertebrate, air-breathing animals whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary glands while both males and females are characterized by sweat glands, hair and/or fur, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain · Infraclass: Eutheria · Superorder: Laurasiatheria
Suborder Feliformia
Nandiniidae
Nandinia African Palm Civet (N. binotata)
Herpestidae (Mongooses)
Atilax Marsh Mongoose (A. paludinosus)
Bdeogale Bushy-tailed Mongoose (B. crassicauda) · Jackson's Mongoose (B. jacksoni) · Black-footed Mongoose (B. nigripes)
Crossarchus Alexander's Kusimanse (C. alexandri) · Angolan Kusimanse (C. ansorgei) · Common Kusimanse (C. obscurus) · Flat-headed Kusimanse (C. platycephalus)
Cynictis Yellow Mongoose (C. penicillata)
Dologale Pousargues's Mongoose (D. dybowskii)
Galerella Angolan Slender Mongoose (G. flavescens) · Somalian Slender Mongoose (G. ochracea) · Cape Gray Mongoose (G. pulverulenta) · Slender Mongoose (G. sanguinea)
Helogale Ethiopian Dwarf Mongoose (H. hirtula) · Common Dwarf Mongoose (H. parvula)
Herpestes Short-tailed Mongoose (H. brachyurus) · Indian Gray Mongoose (H. edwardsii) · Indian Brown Mongoose (H. fuscus) · Egyptian Mongoose (H. ichneumon) · Small Asian Mongoose (H. javanicus) · Long-nosed Mongoose (H. naso) · Collared Mongoose (H. semitorquatus) · Ruddy Mongoose (H. smithii) · Crab-eating Mongoose (H. urva) · Stripe-necked Mongoose (H. vitticollis)
Ichneumia White-tailed Mongoose (I. albicauda)
Liberiictus Liberian Mongoose (L. kuhni)
Mungos Gambian Mongoose (M. gambianus) · Banded Mongoose (M. mungo)
Paracynictis Selous' Mongoose (P. selousi)
Rhynchogale Meller's Mongoose (R. melleri)
Suricata Meerkat (S. suricatta)
Hyaenidae (Hyenas)
Crocuta Spotted Hyena (C. crocuta)
Hyaena Brown Hyena (H. brunnea) · Striped Hyena (H. hyaena)
Proteles Aardwolf (P. cristatus)
Felidae Large family listed below
Viverridae Large family listed below
Eupleridae Small family listed below
Family Felidae
Felinae
Acinonyx Cheetah (A. jubatus)
Caracal Caracal (C. caracal)
Catopuma Bay Cat (C. badia) · Asian Golden Cat (C. temminckii)
Felis Chinese Mountain Cat (F. bieti) · Cat (F. catus) · Jungle Cat (F. chaus) · Pallas' Cat (F. manul) · Sand Cat (F. margarita) · Black-footed Cat (F. nigripes) · Wildcat (F. silvestris)
Leopardus Pantanal Cat (L. braccatus) · Colocolo (L. colocolo) · Geoffroy's Cat (L. geoffroyi) · Kodkod (L. guigna) · Andean Mountain Cat (L. jacobitus) · Pampas Cat (L. pajeros) · Ocelot (L. pardalis) · Oncilla (L. tigrinus) · Margay (L. wiedii)
Leptailurus Serval (L. serval)
Lynx Canadian Lynx (L. canadensis) · Eurasian Lynx (L. lynx) · Iberian Lynx (L. pardinus) · Bobcat (L. rufus)
Pardofelis Marbled Cat (P. marmorata)
Prionailurus Leopard Cat (P. bengalensis) · Iriomote Cat (P. iriomotensis) · Flat-headed Cat (P. planiceps) · Rusty-spotted Cat (P. rubiginosus) · Fishing Cat (P. viverrinus)
Profelis African Golden Cat (P. aurata)
Puma Cougar (P. concolor) · Jaguarundi (P. yagouaroundi)
Pantherinae
Neofelis Clouded Leopard (N. nebulosa) · Bornean Clouded Leopard (N. diardi)
Panthera Lion (P. leo) · Jaguar (P. onca) · Leopard (P. pardus) · Tiger (P. tigris)
Uncia Snow Leopard (U. uncia)
Family Viverridae (includes Civets)
Paradoxurinae
Arctictis Binturong (A. binturong)
Arctogalidia Small-toothed Palm Civet (A. trivirgata)
Macrogalidia Sulawesi Palm Civet (M. musschenbroekii)
Paguma Masked Palm Civet (P. larvata)
Paradoxurus Asian Palm Civet (P. hermaphroditus) · Jerdon's Palm Civet (P. jerdoni) · Golden Palm Civet (P. zeylonensis)
Hemigalinae
Chrotogale Owston's Palm Civet (C. owstoni)
Cynogale Otter Civet (C. bennettii)
Diplogale Hose's Palm Civet (D. hosei)
Hemigalus Banded Palm Civet (H. derbyanus)
Prionodontinae (Asiatic linsangs)
Prionodon Banded Linsang (P. linsang) · Spotted Linsang (P. pardicolor)
Viverrinae
Civettictis African Civet (C. civetta)
Genetta (Genets) Abyssinian Genet (G. abyssinica) · Angolan Genet (G. angolensis) · Bourlon's Genet (G. bourloni) · Crested Servaline Genet (G. cristata) · Common Genet (G. genetta) · Johnston's Genet (G. johnstoni) · Rusty-spotted Genet (G. maculata) · Pardine Genet (G. pardina) · Aquatic Genet (G. piscivora) · King Genet (G. poensis) · Servaline Genet (G. servalina) · Haussa Genet (G. thierryi) · Cape Genet (G. tigrina) · Giant Forest Genet (G. victoriae)
Poiana Leighton's Linsang (P. leightoni) · African Linsang (P. richardsonii)
Viverra Malabar Large-spotted Civet (V. civettina) · Large-spotted Civet (V. megaspila) · Malayan Civet (V. tangalunga) · Large Indian Civet (V. zibetha)
Viverricula Small Indian Civet (V. indica)
Family Eupleridae
Euplerinae
Cryptoprocta Fossa (C. ferox)
Eupleres Falanouc (E. goudotii)
Fossa Malagasy Civet (F. fossana)
Galidiinae
Galidia Ring-tailed Mongoose (G. elegans)
Galidictis Broad-striped Malagasy Mongoose (G. fasciata) · Grandidier's Mongoose (G. grandidieri)
Mungotictis Narrow-striped Mongoose (M. decemlineata)
Salanoia Brown-tailed Mongoose (S. concolor)
Suborder Caniformia (cont. below)
Ursidae (Bears)
Ailuropoda Giant Panda (A. melanoleuca)
Helarctos Sun Bear (H. malayanus)
Melursus Sloth Bear (M. ursinus)
Tremarctos Spectacled Bear (T. ornatus)
Ursus American Black Bear (U. americanus) · Brown Bear (U. arctos) · Grizzly Bear (U. arctos horribilis) · Polar bear (U. maritimus) · Asian Black Bear (U. thibetanus)
Mephitidae (Skunks)
Conepatus (Hog-nosed skunks) Molina's Hog-nosed Skunk (C. chinga) · Humboldt's Hog-nosed Skunk (C. humboldtii) · American Hog-nosed Skunk (C. leuconotus) · Striped Hog-nosed Skunk (C. semistriatus)
Mephitis Hooded Skunk (M. macroura) · Striped Skunk (M. mephitis)
Mydaus Sunda Stink Badger (M. javanensis) · Palawan Stink Badger (M. marchei)
Spilogale (Spotted skunks) Southern Spotted Skunk (S. angustifrons) · Western Spotted Skunk (S. gracilis) · Eastern Spotted Skunk (S. putorius) · Pygmy Spotted Skunk (S. pygmaea)
Procyonidae
Bassaricyon (Olingos) Allen's Olingo (B. alleni) · Beddard's Olingo (B. beddardi) · Bushy-tailed Olingo (B. gabbii) · Harris's Olingo (B. lasius) · Chiriqui Olingo (B. pauli)
Bassariscus Ring-tailed Cat (B. astutus) · Cacomistle (B. sumichrasti)
Nasua (Coatis inclusive) White-nosed Coati (N. narica) · South American Coati (N. nasua)
Nasuella (Coatis inclusive) Mountain Coati (N. olivacea)
Potos Kinkajou (P. flavus)
Procyon Crab-eating Raccoon (P. cancrivorus) · Raccoon (P. lotor) · Cozumel Raccoon (P. pygmaeus)
Ailuridae
Ailurus Red Panda (A. fulgens)
Suborder Caniformia (cont. above)
Otariidae (Eared seals) (includes fur seals and sea lions) (Pinniped inclusive)
Arctocephalus South American Fur Seal (A. australis) · Australasian Fur Seal (A. forsteri) · Galápagos Fur Seal (A. galapagoensis) · Antarctic Fur Seal (A. gazella) · Juan Fernández Fur Seal (A. philippii) · Brown Fur Seal (A. pusillus) · Guadalupe Fur Seal (A. townsendi) · Subantarctic Fur Seal (A. tropicalis)
Callorhinus Northern Fur Seal (C. ursinus)
Eumetopias Steller Sea Lion (E. jubatus)
Neophoca Australian Sea Lion (N. cinerea)
Otaria South American Sea Lion (O. flavescens)
Phocarctos New Zealand Sea Lion (P. hookeri)
Zalophus California Sea Lion (Z. californianus) · Galápagos Sea Lion (Z. wollebaeki)
Odobenidae (Pinniped inclusive)
Odobenus Walrus (O. rosmarus)
Phocidae (Earless seals) (Pinniped inclusive)
Cystophora Hooded Seal (C. cristata)
Erignathus Bearded Seal (E. barbatus)
Halichoerus Gray Seal (H. grypus)
Histriophoca Ribbon Seal (H. fasciata)
Hydrurga Leopard Seal (H. leptonyx)
Leptonychotes Weddell Seal (L. weddellii)
Lobodon Crabeater Seal (L. carcinophagus)
Mirounga (Elephant seals) Northern Elephant Seal (M. angustirostris) · Southern Elephant Seal (M. leonina)
Monachus Mediterranean Monk Seal (M. monachus) · Hawaiian Monk Seal (M. schauinslandi)
Ommatophoca Ross Seal (O. rossi)
Pagophilus Harp Seal (P. groenlandicus)
Phoca Spotted Seal (P. largha) · Harbor Seal (P. vitulina)
Pusa Caspian Seal (P. caspica) · Ringed Seal (P. hispida) · Baikal Seal (P. sibirica)
Canidae Large family listed below
Mustelidae Large family listed below
Family Canidae
Atelocynus Short-eared Dog (A. microtis)
Canis Side-striped Jackal (C. adustus) · Golden Jackal (C. aureus) · Coyote (C. latrans) · Gray Wolf (C. lupus) · Dog (C. lupus familiaris) · Black-backed Jackal (C. mesomelas) · Ethiopian Wolf (C. simensis)
Cerdocyon Crab-eating Fox (C. thous)
Chrysocyon Maned Wolf (C. brachyurus)
Cuon Dhole (C. alpinus)
Lycalopex Culpeo (L. culpaeus) · Darwin's Fox (L. fulvipes) · South American Gray Fox (L. griseus) · Pampas Fox (L. gymnocercus) · Sechuran Fox (L. sechurae) · Hoary Fox (L. vetulus)
Lycaon African Wild Dog (L. pictus)
Nyctereutes Raccoon Dog (N. procyonoides)
Otocyon Bat-eared Fox (O. megalotis)
Speothos Bush Dog (S. venaticus)
Urocyon Gray Fox (U. cinereoargenteus) · Island Fox (U. littoralis)
Vulpes Bengal Fox (V. bengalensis) · Blanford's Fox (V. cana) · Cape Fox (V. chama) · Corsac Fox (V. corsac) · Tibetan Sand Fox (V. ferrilata) · Arctic Fox (V. lagopus) · Kit Fox (V. macrotis) · Pale Fox (V. pallida) · Rüppell's Fox (V. rueppelli) · Swift Fox (V. velox) · Red Fox (V. vulpes) · Fennec Fox (V. zerda)
Family Mustelidae
Lutrinae (Otters)
Aonyx African Clawless Otter (A. capensis) · Oriental Small-clawed Otter (A. cinerea)
Enhydra Sea otter (E. lutris)
Hydrictis Spotted-necked Otter (H. maculicollis)
Lontra North American River Otter (L. canadensis) · Marine Otter (L. felina) · Neotropical Otter (L. longicaudis) · Southern River Otter (L. provocax)
Lutra European Otter (L. lutra) · Hairy-nosed Otter (L. sumatrana)
Lutrogale Smooth-coated Otter (L. perspicillata)
Pteronura Giant Otter (P. brasiliensis)
Mustelinae (including Badgers)
Arctonyx Hog Badger (A. collaris)
Eira Tayra (E. barbara)
Galictis Lesser Grison (G. cuja) · Greater Grison (G. vittata)
Gulo Wolverine (G. gulo)
Ictonyx Saharan Striped Polecat (I. libyca) · Striped Polecat (I. striatus)
Lyncodon Patagonian Weasel (L. patagonicus)
Martes (Martens) American Marten (M. americana) · Yellow-throated Marten (M. flavigula) · Beech Marten (M. foina) · Nilgiri Marten (M. gwatkinsii) · European Pine Marten (M. martes) · Japanese Marten (M. melampus) · Fisher (M. pennanti) · Sable (M. zibellina)
Meles Japanese Badger (M. anakuma) · Asian Badger (M. leucurus) · European Badger (M. meles)
Mellivora Honey Badger (M. capensis)
Melogale (Ferret-badgers) Bornean Ferret-badger (M. everetti) · Chinese Ferret-badger (M. moschata) · Javan Ferret-badger (M. orientalis) · Burmese Ferret-badger (M. personata)
Mustela (Weasels) Amazon Weasel (M. africana) · Mountain Weasel (M. altaica) · Ermine (M. erminea) · Steppe Polecat (M. eversmannii) · Colombian Weasel (M. felipei) · Long-tailed Weasel (M. frenata) · Japanese Weasel (M. itatsi) · Yellow-bellied Weasel (M. kathiah) · European Mink (M. lutreola) · Indonesian Mountain Weasel (M. lutreolina) · Black-footed Ferret (M. nigripes) · Least Weasel (M. nivalis) · Malayan Weasel (M. nudipes) · European Polecat (M. putorius) · Siberian Weasel (M. sibirica) · Back-striped Weasel (M. strigidorsa) · Egyptian Weasel (M. subpalmata)
Neovison (Minks) American Mink (N. vison)
Poecilogale African Striped Weasel (P. albinucha)
Taxidea American Badger (T. taxus)
Vormela Marbled Polecat (V. peregusna)

Categories: True seals

 

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'Elephant Seal' Images
elephant seal jpg
underwatertimes.com
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Study Lampreys share collagen protein with humans date added 2006 02 25 source www underwatertimes com Antarctic elephant seals diving for science giant oceanographers date added 2006 02 24 source news bbc co uk

Yahoo Images Search: Elephant seal,
Fri Oct 23 10:49:07 2009
'Elephant Seal' Blogs
Zoo News Digest: Cuddle an Elephant Seal
zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com
Zoo News Digest: Cuddle an Elephant Seal

Peter Dickinson

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:25:00 GM

Cuddle an . Elephant Seal. . Photo by: This is a truly amazing piece of video. It is also quite frightening in some ways when one considers just what could have happened...but it didn't ...

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'Elephant Seal' Answers
Are elephant seals carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, producers?
Q. Are elephant seals carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, producers?
Asked by unknown - Sun Sep 14 23:10:33 2008 - - 2 Answers - 0 Comments

A. They are considered the largest flesh eaters, or carnivores, on land. Of course, they are semi-aquatic but still need oxygen to live and spend a lot of time on land. There are two species of elephant seals, the Northern and Southern. Southern elephant seal can have a body mass of up to 9,000 pounds - that's larger than a hippo! I don't get it. Why was I vted down. Elephant seals are indeed carvivores!
Answered by ! - Sun Sep 14 23:45:10 2008

Yahoo Answers Search: Elephant seal,
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