Leopard Seal

by Hailey Katz

Marine Biology P1
IDENTIFICATION OF ORGANISM

Kingdom-​ Animalia
Phylum-​ Chordata
Class-​ Mammalia
Order-​ ​Pinnipedia
Family-​ Phocidae
Genus-​ ​Hydrurga
Species-​ ​leptonyx
Common name-​ leopard seal
Scientific name-​ ​Hydrurga leptonyx
 ENVIRONMENT AND HABITAT

Habitat-​ ​Leopard seals inhabit the pack ice and fast ice
edges around Antarctica. We do not know a lot about their
habits because, the leopard seal is a loner and it is rare to
see mothers and pups.

Niche-​ ​apex predator

Location-​ ​around the pack ice edges of the Antarctic

continent
DICHOTOMOUS KEY

Sea Lion
Common name-​ leopard seal
Scientific name-​ ​Hydrurga leptonyx

Anchovies
Common name-​ European anchovy
Scientific name-​ ​Engraulidae

Herring Salmon
Common name-​ ​Salmon
Scientific Name-​ Clupea harengus
DICHOTOMOUS KEY CONT.

Sardines
Common name-​ Madeiran sardinella
Scientific Name-​ Sardina pilchardus

Squid
Common name-​ ​Longfin Inshore Squid
Scientific Name-​ Teuthida

Octopus
Common name-​ ​Common Octopus
Scientific Name-​ Octopoda
FOOD WEB
 GENETICS

Reproduction- ​In zoological environments, successful

mating has been observed in males as young as two
years. In the wild, social factors greatly influence a male's
breeding success. Males may not successfully reproduce
until about nine years of age, when they attain full size and
are able to compete for females. A male with an
established territory breeds with an average of 16 females
in one season. Female California sea lions come into
estrus ("heat") about three to four weeks after giving birth.
Studies show that mating generally takes place about 20
to 30 days after giving birth.
 Mutations-​Based on molecular evidence scientists have
built a case for classifying the Galápagos sea lion, the
Californian sea lion and the Japanese sea lion as true
species. As morphological versions of these species do
not necessarily fully reflect the serious mutations on the
molecular level, the study can be considered as a test
case for deriving species status from molecular evidence.
We further use the results to discuss the role of genetics in
conservation policy for an organism that already is under
the general protection of the habitat it lives in. A common
mutation is bigger hands and feet, too many whiskers, and
too many or too little teeth.
 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

Flippers-​​The Sea Lion has long flippers in the front and then shorter ones of the back.
The flippers are extremely powerful. This is how a Sea Lion is able to move around on
land as well as swim in the water. If you get the opportunity, take a close look at the
flippers of a Sea Lion. You will find that the back flippers have five digits on them and
the front flippers don’t have claws on them. Their flippers are very strong and able to
help them move their body weight while on land. Depending on the species and their
age, this can be from several hundred pounds to one ton. You will notice that Sea Lions
have a very small head that often seems out of proportion for their larger bodies. Yet
when they are moving in the water it all seems to be perfect.
Fur-​​The amount of blubber that a Sea Lion will have depends on where they reside.
The blubber is thick and it helps to keep them warm. Therefore those that live in colder
regions will have more of it than those that reside in tropical areas. The general
anatomy of Seal Lions is the same but you will notice some differences based upon the
location of them. The coloring of Sea Lions various from dark brown to a dark gray. The
young are brown in color with the females being much lighter than the males. When
they are about six months old that brown color starts to turn into a shade of gray. Some
of them are so dark that they may even appear to be black.
Whiskers-​​You will notice that Sea Lions features large groups of whiskers on their
faces. They definitely help to give them a cute appearance! Yet these whiskers also
have a huge impact on their ability to get around in the water and to find prey. Each
whisker has its own nerve endings and it is attached to the lip of the Sea Lion. A
common mutation of the sea lion is too many or too little whiskers. They are very long
and sensitive.
 EVOLUTION
Adaptions- ​The story behind Sea Lion evolution is one that has many variations to
it. What it really comes down to is who is telling the story. Scientific research has some
of the answers but not enough to really to give us good answers. It isn’t that people
don’t want to tell you the truth. Rather it is just that their viewpoint on the evidence is
different. Some are focused on the evidence that is there while others focus on what
isn’t there. Either way it leads to some very interesting theories. There is evidence to
suggest that they were part of earlier times, maybe 23 million years ago. However, they
didn’t undergo the vast evolution that many other mammals did. It is believed that they
may have been only land animals though. Perhaps they had to evolve to get the
webbed feet and the flippers in order to survive in the water. They still get around well
on land. It is believed by many that their evolution to the water was due to a lack of food
on land. Others believe that the evolution may have been triggered by changes in the
environmental temperatures. Since it was too hot on land but cooler in the water they
spent more and more time there. This is why they evolved in ways that allowed them to
do well in the water. At the same time though they never lost their love for the sun and
that is why they continue to bask in it frequently today.

Sea Lion future- ​The future is unsure for many species of Sea Lions. Years of
them being destroyed by humans has really taken a toll on them. Environmental
concerns continue to cause problems for them in their natural habitats as well. The fact
that humans are also taking control over the waters where they once lived in peace is a
huge concern. Even with conservation efforts in place there is still a great deal of work
to be done if these animals are going to survive. People around the world need to join
together to stop sea lions from going extinct.
THE END :)