Overseeing marine mammal health and stranding response. Educating the public about northern elephant seals and the threats they face. Family Phocidae Southern elephant seals breed on land but spend their winters in the frigid Antarctic waters near the Antarctic pack ice. Instead, the sea lion tail is used like a rudder. Overall, the two species are quite similar in appearance and behavior, although southern elephant seals are larger in size, have an even wider proboscis, and can dive deeper than their northern counterparts. That's 18 teeth on the top and 20 on the bottom. Which species developed first and how they became separated between the two hemispheres is not known. Arctocephalus townsendi, Guadalupe fur seal They are even known to "smell" underwater, bubbling air from their nose close to potential prey before sucking it back in. Today, robust populations of northern elephant seals in the U.S. and Mexico are derived from those few hundred individuals that survived in Mexico. They collect a harem of 40 to 50 females, which are much smaller than their enormous mates. On average, the southern elephant seal tends to be larger than the northern species. Seals are generally polygamous and depending on the group size, . Pagophilus groenlandicus, harp seal Some things that always pique his interest are old technologies, literature and all sorts of odd vintage goodness. ELEPHANT SEAL VS WALRUS - Who would win this deadly struggle? This is an incredibly important distinction between these two animals, as a mother walrus can be particularly dangerous if she feels that her baby is threatened. Males reach lengths of nearly 20 feet (6 m) and weights of more than 8000 pounds (3700 kg). Pups are born in early winter from December to January. Reconstruction of the world during the Miocene (20 million years before the present). A small population survived in Mexico and the population began to steadily increase in the early 1900s. It's me! Phoca hispida, ringed seal, Baltic Sea specimen And here we explore some of the most extreme examples of breath-holding in the animal kingdom and how they match up with record-breaking human free-divers. [11] The vibrissae are connected to blood vessels, nerves, and muscles making them an important sensing tool. And in general, true seals have more blubber and are more streamlined. A male elephant seal from the north can be as large as 13 feet long and weigh 4,400 pounds. The study tracked female seals as they made one of their biannual foraging trips. The largest known specimens were more than 20ft . In southern Chile, there is a small colony of 120 animals at Jackson Bay (Baha Jackson) in Admiralty Sound (Seno Almirantazgo) at the southern coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. Though they range as far north as Alaska, they typically breed and give birth in the Channel Islands off California or Baja California in Mexico, primarily on offshore islands from December to March. Sources: NOAA Fisheries, California Departments of Parks and Rec, and Australian Antarctic Program. Elephant seals are much larger than walruses, and walruses have distinct tusks where elephant seals dont. The differences in form between females and males of the same species is called sexual dimorphism. Out of all the animals that have ever lived on earth, the brain of the elephant is the largest known. Herbert Nitsch, an Austrian free-diver is recognised as the "deepest man on earth". With time, Coolio at the Pittsburg zoo should help us increase our understanding of elephant seal care. Monachinae The mother nurses the pup for approximately a month. Elephant seals rarely cross paths with humans but when they do they can really throw their weight around. [11] Cookie cutter sharks can take bites from their skin. Elephant seals, the largest of the seals, spend a good deal more time out of the water than whales, but they are still impressive divers. But these massive pinnipeds aren't called elephant seals because of their size. Neophoca cinerea, Australian sea lion Males can be over 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds. Manage Settings Huntington's chorea: Evolution and genetic disease. Conversely, females maintain their smaller noses and smooth necks. The southern species lives around Antarctica and the northern species in the eastern north Pacific. Northern elephant seals can be found in California and Baja California, though they prefer to frequent offshore islands rather than the North American mainland. They breathe air like humans and other mammals, reptiles and birds, but they spend most of their time at sea. Phylum: | Chordata Males feed in benthic regions with more abundant food sources, but also more abundant predators. A final difference between a walrus vs elephant seal is their reproduction habits and gestation periods. The IUCN lists both species of elephant seal as being of least concern, although they are still threatened by entanglement in marine debris, fishery interactions, and boat collisions. To find food, these mammals migrate and often spend months at sea, diving at great depths. Their trunk could probably do some good damage. A mother walrus is also extremely protective of her young, while an elephant seal mother leaves her young on their own once they have reached a month old. Elephant seals come in varying shades of tan, but look darker-colored when their fur is wet. Follow us on Instagram at @natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo.com/yourshot for the latest submissions and news about the community. NOAA Fisheries is working to protect this species in many ways, with the goal that populations remain stable and do not fall to depleted or threatened levels. [11] Outside of these groups, a beta bull is normally roaming around on the beach. Known for their large nose, which is called a "proboscis," elephant seals are an incredibly unique species of animal. When it comes to scratching, it's the opposite, true seals use their fore flippers while sea lions use their rear flippers. Elephant seals migrate in search of food, spending months at sea and often diving deep to forage. Northern elephant seals are polygynous breeders with a social hierarchy. [11], Elephant seals take their name from the large proboscis of the adult male (bull), reminiscent of an elephant's trunk, and considered a secondary sexual characteristic. [2][5][6], Elephant seals breed annually and are seemingly habitual to colonies that have established breeding areas. [10][11] These seals also possess a structure called the tapetum lucidum, which helps their vision by having light reflected back to the retina to allow more chances for photoreceptors to detect light. All rights reserved. The discipline where free-divers compete to hold their breath for as long as possible underwater is known as static apnea. Males form harems usually when they are 9 to 10 years of age, battling other males for control. Northern elephant seal. [1], The oldest known unambiguous elephant seal fossils are fragmentary fossils of a member of the tribe Miroungini described from the late Pliocene Petane Formation of New Zealand. Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) live in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters that feature brutally cold conditions but are rich in the fish, squid, and other marine foods these seals enjoy. Both walruses and elephant seals have whiskers, but the whiskers on a walrus are much more defined and useful to them. The southern species has an extensive molting period in which considerable patches of hair and skin are . [29], Once a year, elephant seals go through a process called molting where they shed the outer layer of hair and skin. The elephant seal is a distinctive marine mammal known as a pinniped. Pinniped include are seals, sea lions, and walruses. In the case of a male elephant seal . Unauthorized use is prohibited. When elephant seals are born, they can weigh up to 36 kilograms (79 pounds) and reach lengths up to 122 cm (4 ft 0 in). Northern elephant seals are large and imposing, with significant differences in size and shape between sexes (sexual dimorphism). Hunting reduced their population size to as few as 20 individuals at the end of the 19th century. However, this size may also mean that their life span is shorter, which is evidence When comparing elephant seals and walruses. Halichoerus grypus (Phoca grypa), grey seal Phocarctos hookeri, Hooker's sea lion An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Phoca caspica, Caspian seal Animals.NET aim to promote interest in nature and animals among children, as well as raise their awareness in conservation and environmental protection. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions and ensure stable population levels for this species. Phocina The whales find their prey in the dark abyss using echolocation - a series of clicks and buzzes that bounce off their prey and allow these huge mammals to sense their whereabouts through sound. "You feel your chest getting tighter, your body squished by pressure. The proboscis overhangs their lower lip by about 8 inches. The history of life: looking at the patterns, Pacing, diversity, complexity, and trends, Alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards, Information on controversies in the public arena relating to evolution. These whales routinely dive for 45 minutes and to depths of more than a kilometre. [11] The females and juveniles will molt first, followed by the sub adult males, and finally the large mature males. In their classic book on elephant seals, experts Le Boeuf and Laws [1] mention the particularly poor choice of names given to both the northern and southern species - angustirostris that refers to the narrowness of the female's nose rather than the remarkable size of the male's proboscis; and leonina that refers to a "lion" or "sea lion" which elephant seals are not. Walruses are covered in a tough skin with sparse coarse hair, while elephant seals have a thin layer of brown or gray hair covering their entire body. Miroungini Males can be over 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds. Published August 6, 2003. This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 41, 345-354. Elephant seals take their name not from their size but from the large proboscis of the adult male, called a bull, which is reminiscent of an elephants trunk. Elephant seals rarely cross paths with humans but when they do they can really throw their weight aroundSubscribe to BBC Earth: http://bit.ly/BBCEarthSubBBC Earth YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/BBCEarthBBC Earth Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bbcearth (ex-UK only)BBC Earth Twitter http://www.twitter.com/bbcearthVisit http://www.bbc.com/earth/world for all the latest animal news and wildlife videosThis is a commercial channel from BBC Studios. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. [11] The mothers will fast and nurse up to 28 days, providing their pups with rich milk. Elephant seals are the largest extant carnivorans, weighing up to 8,800 pounds. Elephant seals do not have tusks, while walruses always do. Northern males and young adults haul out during June to July to molt; northern females and immature seals during April to May. 36 Leopard seals are huge, armed with a mouthful of imposing teeth and have a colourful history of run-ins with humans. Elephant seals have a very large volume of blood, allowing them to hold a large amount of oxygen for use when diving. In their breeding area, males collect a harem of 40 to 50 females. Have some feedback for us? Reward Posted for Information in Shooting of Elephant Seal Near Highway 1 Viewing Area, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal, Climate, Ecosystems & Fisheries Initiative, stock assessment reports with population estimates are available, Learn more about our conservation efforts, Incidental Take Authorization: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Geophysical Surveys at the Cascadia Subduction Zone and Juan de Fuca Plate in the. They take their name from their trunklike inflatable snouts. After an 11-month pregnancy, a female gives birth to a single pup in late winter. Threats such as disease, contaminants,and entanglement. The southern elephant seal is a true seal and is the largest pinniped (seal or sea lion) and carnivoran (hairy carnivore) in the world. Inadvertent vessel strikes can injure or kill seals. Psychol.11 . When it comes to comparing a walrus vs elephant seal, their unique appearances and size differences often make it obvious which one is which. Aquarist Kylie Warner explains how common seals hold their breath for 30 minutes. The leopard seal is an agile predator found in the waters of the Antarctic. Phocinae, northern true seals Overall, the two species are quite similar in appearance and behavior, although southern elephant seals are larger in size, have an even wider proboscis, and can dive deeper than their northern counterparts. Minimizing harassment and illegal feeding. As females arrive, males collect a harem of 40 to 50 females. Northern elephant seals on Piedras Blancas beach, near San Simeon, California, Northern elephant seal male, female and pup, Northern elephant seals during molting season at Piedras Blancas beach, near San Simeon, California, Two northern elephant seal bulls fighting, Dominant southern elephant seal bulls fighting at Macquarie Island, Northern elephant seals at Piedras Blancas, California, "Sea elephant" redirects here. Elephant seals are now protected from harm under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and their numbers have bounced back to a healthy population level. [11], Birth on average only takes a few minutes, and the mother and pup have a connection due to each other's unique smell and sound. The leopard seal ( Hydrurga leptonyx ), also referred to as the sea leopard, [3] is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal ). They move like an inchworm by pulling their heavy bodies forward with strong front flippers. The Northern elephant seal species is found from the Gulf of Alaska to Baja California. Some encounters end with roaring and aggressive posturing, but many others turn into violent and bloody battles. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. The northern elephant seal is yellowish or gray-brown, and the southern is blue-gray. But the current world record is held by Stephane Mifsud of France, who managed 11 minutes and 35 seconds in 2009. [10], Males arrive at potential breeding sites in spring, and fast to ensure that they can mate with as many females as possible. [11] The gestation period for females is 11 months, and the pupping seasons lasts from mid to late summer. Elephant seals are carnivores (piscivores) and their favorite foods are skates, rays, squid, octopuses, eels, small sharks, and large fish. Northern elephant seals spend about 9 months of the year in the ocean. Seal sleeping on beach. The northern elephant seal is the largest of the true seals in the Northern Hemisphere. How a zoo break-in changed the life of an owl called Flaco, Naked mole rats are fertile until they die, study finds. - Earless seals or true seals The northern elephant seal is slightly smaller. Northern elephant seal bulls reach a length of 4.3 to 4.8m (14 to 16ft) and the heaviest weigh about 2,500kg (5,500lb). One day, this guy just kind of figured - "I spend most of my time on the internet anyway, why not turn it into a profession?" When males reach puberty at about 7 years old, they develop a large inflatable nose, or "proboscis." They battle other males for mating dominance. Breeding colonies in the north include the beaches of California and Baja California. Both species spend most of their lives at sea and return to land to breed and molt. The smaller seal is an adult female and the much larger one with the trunk-like nose is an adult male. The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? Male Pacific Walruses can grow up to 1700kg in size and 3.6m in length. Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 04/19/2022. This pup will nurse for just one month before being weaned. The Bajau people of South-East Asia live in stilt houses and fish underwater for up to five minutes on one breath. While suckling their young, females do not eatboth mother and child live off the energy stored in ample reserves of her blubber. Hunting reduced their population size to as few as 20 individuals at the end of the 19th century. Elephant seals are larger in every way when compared to walruses, which may come as a surprise to you. An elephants brain is about four times the size of a humans brain. Class: | Mammalia Eco-friendly burial alternatives, explained. [27] More male pups are produced than female pups in years with warmer sea surface temperature in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Adult males use their large, inflatable noses during the winter breeding season to resonate sound when vocally threatening each other. Adam says that meditation is a crucial part of free-diving. [11] The shape of their body also helps them maneuver well in the water, but limits their movement on land. [12] Females do not have the large proboscis and can be distinguished between species by looking at their nose characteristics. The large size of elephant seals likely has something to do with their shorter life span, but these creatures are also less likely to defend themselves when compared to walruses. Another difference between a walrus vs elephant seal is their physical appearance. For the best experience, please use a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. 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