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Elephant seals or sea elephants are very large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus Mirounga.Both species, the northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris) and the southern elephant seal (M. leonina), were hunted to the brink of extinction for lamp oil by the end of the 19th century, but their numbers have since recovered.
The northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the southern elephant seal). It is a member of the family Phocidae (true seals ). 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 ...
Male Southern elephant seal. Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) can dive as deep as 2000 m and stay underwater for as long as 120 min, which means that they are subjected to hydrostatic pressures of more than 200 atmospheres, but hydrostatic pressure is not a major problem, as at depths below about 100 m, depending on the species, the ...
A southern elephant seal's eyes are large, round, and black. The width of the eyes, and a high concentration of low-light pigments, suggest sight plays an important role in the capture of prey. Like all seals, elephant seals have hind limbs whose ends form the tail and tail fin. Each of the "feet" can deploy five long, webbed fingers.
Pinnipeds range in size from the 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) and 50 kg (110 lb) Baikal seal to the 6 m (20 ft) and 3,700 kg (8,200 lb) male southern elephant seal, which is also the largest member of Carnivora. [1]
There’s a reason the male elephant seals lounging on the sand look a bit ratty.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 9 February 2025. Taxonomic group of semi-aquatic mammals Pinnipeds Temporal range: Latest Oligocene – Holocene, 24–0 Ma Pre๊ ๊ O S D C P T J K Pg N Clockwise from top left: Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri), walrus ...
The postweaning fast ranges from two weeks in the hooded seal to 9–12 weeks in the northern elephant seal. [19] The physiological and behavioral adaptations that allow phocid pups to endure these remarkable fasts, which are among the longest for any mammal, remain an area of active study and research.