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Pinnipeds (pronounced / ˈpɪnɪˌpɛdz / ), commonly known as seals, [a] are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin -footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals.
Jul 17, 2024 · Seal, any of 32 species of web-footed aquatic mammals that live chiefly in cold seas and whose body shape, round at the middle and tapered at the ends, is adapted to swift and graceful swimming. There are two types of seals: the earless, or true, seals; and the eared seals, which comprise the sea lions and fur seals.
Seals range greatly in size, from the gargantuan southern elephant seal, which can weigh more than a pickup truck, to the relatively slender, 100-pound Baikal seal.
Seals are aquatic mammals which belong to the family ‘ Pinnipedia ‘ which means ‘winged-feet’ and refers to their flippers, which are specially adapted for life in the sea. There are 33 species of seal worldwide, two of which live around the British coastlines.
According to the IUCN’s classifications, seven seal species are “Endangered” or “EN” including the Hawaiian fur seal, the Galapagos fur seal, and the Australian sea lion. Three are categorized as “Vulnerable” or “VU” – the northern fur seal, the hooded seal, and the walrus.
Sea lions are the only aquatic mammals that swim this way. Seals, walruses, whales, otters, and others rely on the back end of their bodies—their tail—to produce thrust. Instead, the sea lion tail is used like a rudder. By using their front flippers, sea lions are easily the fastest group of pinnipeds.
Seals are found along most coasts and cold waters, but a majority of them live in the Arctic and Antarctic waters. Harbor, ringed, ribbon, spotted and bearded seals, as well as northern fur seals and Steller sea lions live in the Arctic region. Places. Arctic. Browse Photos & Videos h.
seal, Aquatic carnivore with webbed flippers and a streamlined body. Earless (true, or hair) seals (of the family Phocidae, with 18 species) lack external ears. In water, they propel themselves by side-to-side strokes of the hind limbs and maneuver with their forelimbs.
Mar 22, 2021 · Seals and sea lions belong to a group of marine mammals called pinnipeds, which means fin or flipper-footed. They are adapted for life in the ocean, but come on land for long periods of time. NOAA Fisheries and partners work to study, protect, and conserve these unique marine mammals and their habitats.
The harbor (or harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere.
