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Seals are pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals.
Seal Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Pinnipedia
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Other Names: Earless Seal, True Seal
Seal in Foreign Languages:
Afrikaans: Seehond
Czech: Lachtan / Tulen
Dutch: Zeehond
Estonian: Hüljes
Finnish: Hylje
French: Phoque
Gaelic: Ròn
German: Robbe / Seehund
Greenland: Puisi
Hungarian: Fóka
Icelandic: Selur
Indonesian: Anjing Laut
Irish: Rón
Italian: Foca
Latin: Phoca
Latvian: Ronis
Lithuanian: Ruonis
Malay: Anjing Laut
Norwegian: Sel
Old English: Seolh
Old Norse: Kópr
Polish: Foka
Portuguese: Foca
Romanian: Foca
Scottish: Seal / Selch
Serbian: Tuljan
Slovenian: Tjulenj
Spanish: Foca
Swahili: Sili
Swedish: Säl
Turkish: Fok
Zulu: Umnyama
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Size: Seals measure 4 to 16 feet in length.
The smallest seal is the Baikal seal, which weighs approximately
155 lbs. and measure 4 feet long. Tthe largest, seal
is the elephant seal, measuring over 13 feet long and
weighsing up to 8,800 lbs.
Species: There are 33 known species of seals.
Seals are divided into two families, the first the Phocidae,
the earless or ‘true’ seals, and the second is the Otariidae,
the eared seals (ex: fur seals and sea lions).
Habitat: Seals are found all over the world,
from the Arctic and Antarctic to tropical waters.
Description: Seals come in many different shapes,
sizes and colors. Seals have streamlined bodies. Seals
are insulated from cold water, they have a thick fur
coat and by a thick layer of blubber as well as front
and back fins.
Diet: Seals are carnivores. Seals primarily
feed on fish, crustaceans and shellfish.
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Communication: Seals are highly vocal
and make a variety sounds from barking to growls.
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Did You Know?
Seals have sensitive whiskers that
help them to detect prey in murky waters.
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Gestation: Seals carry their young for approximately
8 months to 1 year.
Birth: Seals give birth to a single pup at a
time.
Sexually Mature: Female seals sexually mature
between 3 to 6 years of age. Male seals sexually mature
between 3 to 7 years of age.
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Life Span: Seals live between 20 to 40
years in the wild, depending on the species. Orcas
and sharks prey on seals.
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Did You Know?
Male seals are being called bulls,
female seals are being called cows,
and baby seals are referred to as pups.
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