Leopard Seal Facts

Panther Seal Facts In the event that you get the chance to take an Antarctic journey, you might be sufficiently fortunate to see a panther seal in its normal natural surroundings. The panther seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) is an earless seal withâ leopard-spotted hide. Like its catlike namesake, the seal is an amazing predator high on the natural way of life. The main creature that chases panther seals is the executioner whale. Quick Facts: Leopard Seal Logical Name: Hydrurga leptonyxCommon Names: Leopard seal, ocean leopardBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 10-12 feetWeight: 800-1000 poundsLifespan: 12-15 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: Sea around AntarcticaPopulation: 200,000Conservation Status: Least Concern Portrayal You may think the undeniable distinguishing highlight of the panther seal is its dark spotted coat. Be that as it may, numerous seals have spots. What sets the panther seal separated is its extended head and twisted body, to some degree taking after a hairy eel. The panther seal is earless, around 10 to 12 feet in length (females marginally bigger than guys), weighs somewhere in the range of 800 and 1000 pounds, and consistently is by all accounts grinning on the grounds that the edges of its mouth twist upward. The panther seal is huge, however littler than the elephant seal and walrus. <img information srcset=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/YmBvW1OWXUsAKSwQ0akFoDpgyQQ=/300x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/panther sealgrinning598869098-e4be23f9885947de85a3aa16315aac64.jpg 300w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/rVQIINXkDPVUsibeEhsguYncjcM=/998x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/panther sealgrinning598869098-e4be23f9885947de85a3aa16315aac64.jpg 998w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/9Hl9uq1IiTNB0471qN1NEL_5zsY=/1696x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/panther sealgrinning598869098-e4be23f9885947de85a3aa16315aac64.jpg 1696w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/vbcjUA7ODGnzNI1pVSZgoxkqISg=/3093x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/panther sealgrinning598869098-e4be23f9885947de85a3aa16315aac64.jpg 3093w information src=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/YSnYHnFERATHoMkPzxtcWQhaJRM=/3093x2056/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/panther sealgrinning598869098-e4be23f9885947de85a3aa16315aac64.jpg src=//:0 alt=The mouth of the panther seal rotates toward the sky at the edges, taking after a grin. class=lazyload information click-tracked=true information img-lightbox=true information expand=300 id=mntl-sc-square image_1-0-6 information following container=true /> The mouth of the panther seal rotates toward the sky at the edges, taking after a grin. Subside Johnson/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images Natural surroundings and Distribution Panther seals live in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters of the Ross Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands. Once in a while they are found along the southern shorelines of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The panther seals living space covers that of different seals. Diet <img information srcset=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/rHGdjqd1WxY8ad4SC_lcscoukwc=/300x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/adelie-penguin-glancing in-panther seal-s-mouth-518946030-5a2ed5947d4be80036b126a4.jpg 300w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/9zEIqUTZO2vMrw2oxZ3vFlHMqvU=/1725x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/adelie-penguin-glancing in-panther seal-s-mouth-518946030-5a2ed5947d4be80036b126a4.jpg 1725w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/z_DC5M5zJj_Jw4dFaTFKDbr7mks=/3150x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/adelie-penguin-glancing in-panther seal-s-mouth-518946030-5a2ed5947d4be80036b126a4.jpg 3150w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/ppDSGDbhVB0RB8ghgs92Zoj4ctg=/6000x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/adelie-penguin-glancing in-panther seal-s-mouth-518946030-5a2ed5947d4be80036b126a4.jpg 6000w information src=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/QqO2E4VsCxpBsknf7S2jCbfLVRM=/6000x3992/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/adelie-penguin-glancing in-panther seal-s-mouth-518946030-5a2ed5947d4be80036b126a4.jpg src=//:0 alt=Leopard seals eat penguins. class=lazyload information click-tracked=true information img-lightbox=true information expand=300 id=mntl-sc-square image_1-0-11 information following container=true /> Panther seals eat penguins.  © Tim Davis/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images The panther seal will eat pretty much some other creatures. Like different predatory warm blooded creatures, the seal has sharp front teeth and fearsome-looking inch-long canines. In any case, the seals molars lock together to make a sifter that permits it to channel krill from the water. Seal puppies principally eat krill, however once they figure out how to chase, they eat penguins, squid, shellfish, fish, and littler seals. They are the main seals that routinely chase warm-blooded prey. Leopard seals frequently hold up submerged and push themselves out of the water to grab their casualty. Researchers can break down a seals diet by looking at its bristles. Conduct Panther seals are known to act slyly with prey, regularly with youthful seals or penguins. They will pursue their prey until it either escapes or bites the dust, however wont essentially eat their execute. Researchers are unsure of the explanation behind this conduct, yet trust it might help sharpen chasing abilities or may essentially be for sport. <img information srcset=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/0w0qI59bJ8JCzVOPiN0KIjisFlg=/300x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/grown-up panther sealhydrurga-leptonyxinspecting-the-camera-above-and-underneath water-at-damoy-pointantarcticapolar-districts 536221628-5a300cb789eacc0037c58bce.jpg 300w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/Y9BzwLVM2sTGOYTFSlalvlgoto4=/869x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/grown-up panther sealhydrurga-leptonyxinspecting-the-camera-above-and-beneath water-at-damoy-pointantarcticapolar-areas 536221628-5a300cb789eacc0037c58bce.jpg 869w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/H3oA-ASFHAWxHk42fWioLeT_vvw=/1438x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/grown-up panther sealhydrurga-leptonyxinspecting-the-camera-above-and-beneath water-at-damoy-pointantarcticapolar-locales 536221628-5a300cb789eacc0037c58bce.jpg 1438w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/swpZsieG9oSU8YiMfDzZ6XqSQGA=/2576x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/grow n-up panther sealhydrurga-leptonyxinspecting-the-camera-above-and-beneath water-at-damoy-pointantarcticapolar-areas 536221628-5a300cb789eacc0037c58bce.jpg 2576w information src=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/iYL-vKQy2f-JnZ4n1acP7qO3y3Q=/3865x2576/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/grown-up panther sealhydrurga-leptonyxinspecting-the-camera-above-and-underneath water-at-damoy-pointantarcticapolar-districts 536221628-5a300cb789eacc0037c58bce.jpg src=//:0 alt=Leopard seal guys hang under the ice when they sing. class=lazyload information click-tracked=true information img-lightbox=true information expand=300 id=mntl-sc-square image_1-0-17 information following container=true /> Panther seal guys hang under the ice when they sing. Michael Nolan/Getty Images During the austral summer, male panther seals sing (uproariously) submerged for quite a long time every day. A singing seal hangs topsy turvy, with a twisted neck and throbbing expanded chests, shaking from side to side. Every male has an unmistakable call, in spite of the fact that the calls change contingent upon the seals age. Singing corresponds with the reproducing season. Hostage females have been known to sing when regenerative hormone levels are raised. Generation and Offspring While a few sorts of seals live in gatherings, the panther seal is single. Exemptions incorporate mother and little guy sets and transitory mating sets. Seals mate in summer and conceive an offspring following 11 months incubation to a solitary puppy. During childbirth, the puppy weighs around 66 pounds. The puppy is weaned on the ice for about a month. Females become full grown between ages three and seven. Guys develop somewhat later, commonly between ages six and seven. Panther seals live quite a while for a seal, somewhat in light of the fact that they have hardly any predators. While the normal life expectancy is 12 to 15 years, itsâ not unprecedented for a wild panther seal to live 26 years. Protection Status As indicated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), researchers once accepted there might be more than 200,000 panther seals. Ecological changes have drastically influenced species the seals eat, so this number is likely off base. The panther seal isn't jeopardized. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) records it as a types of least concern. Panther Seals and Humans Panther seals are profoundly risky predators. While assaults of people are uncommon, instances of animosity, following, and fatalities have been archived. Panther seals are known to assault the dark barges of inflatable pontoons, representing a roundabout hazard to individuals. Nonetheless, not all experiences with people are savage. At the point when National Geographic picture taker Paul Nicklen dove into Antarctic waters to watch a panther seal, the female seal he shot brought him harmed and dead penguins. Regardless of whether the seal was attempting to take care of the picture taker, instruct him to chase, or had different intentions is obscure. Sources Rogers, T. L.; Cato, D. H.; Bryden, M. M. Conduct importance of submerged vocalizations of hostage panther seals, Hydrurga leptonyx. Marine Mammal Science.â 12â (3): 414â€42, 1996.Rogers, T.L. Source levels of the submerged calls of a male panther seal. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.â 136â (4): 1495â€1498, 2014.Wilson, Don E. also, DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. Species: Hydrurga leptonyx. Well evolved creature types of the world : an ordered and geographic reference (third ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005.