Elephant SealsJoe Fontanals

Characteristics

● Elephant seals can weigh up to 8,800 pounds

● They can be up to 20 feet long● Have a very dominant mating season● Noses used more as rebreather than to

smell● Do not have ears● Very thick heavy blubber keeping them warm● Store oxygen in their muscles for help

breathing undwater

Reproduction

These animals reproduce for one season where all elephant seals from the area beach in the same area. The largest and loudest seal is mated with all the female seals while the other males may not find the ability to mate because all the other females are not interested unless it is the dominant male. Once mating is done most seals leave to get food.

Feeding

These seals prey on fish and penguins also the male seal sometimes can kill the other males in anger to exploit dominance. They are attacked by themselves in mating season but eaten by sharks and orca whales.

Adaptations

● A rebreathing nose● Thick blubber to stay warm● large tail to swim fast● large chests to fight their other male seals● Loud throat and mouth noises to show

dominance and scare prey

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/seal_elephant_wrestling