How big is a male elephant seal?
20 feet long
Males can be over 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds. But these massive pinnipeds aren’t called elephant seals because of their size. They take their name from their trunklike inflatable snouts.
What is interesting about elephant seals?
Elephant seals take their name from the large proboscis of the adult male (bull), which resembles an elephant’s trunk. Elephant seals were hunted to the brink of extinction by the end of the 19th century. The maximum lifespan of male seals is 14 years; females may live to be over 20. …
What is a male elephant seal called?
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. The bull’s proboscis is used in producing extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating season.
What are the two reasons why elephant seals come on land?
While elephant seals spend most of their time swimming, they also gather on beaches in groups called colonies. One reason they come to land is to give birth and breed. Males arrive before females. They battle for dominance, deciding who will have large harems of females.
Do elephant seals fight to the death?
Do big males fight to the death? Rarely. During the breeding season, bulls battle each other for the right to breed with the females. These confrontations are often bloody, but rarely result in serious injury to either bull.
How fast do elephant seals move?
Southern elephant seals can move along the ground at about 5 kph (3 mph) while on land. While swimming, southern elephant seals move at speeds around 5 – 10 kph (3 – 6 mph).
How do elephant seals mate?
They will mate with the male who has defended their harem from attack by other males during the nursing period. The mating is often very loud as the females bark when the male bites their neck and pins them down. After mating the females will leave the beach, thus weaning their baby.
Do elephant seals eat babies?
At sea, elephant seals typically dive 20 minutes to a depth of 1,000 to 2,000 feet in search of food: rays, skates, rat fish, squid, and small sharks. The females eat nothing while they are giving birth, nursing, and mating, and the males go without food for up to three months at that time.
Why do male elephant seal arrive on land before females?
2. Why do male elephant seals arrive on land before females during the breeding season? Males come ashore before females to fight for dominance. Their fights decide which males will have the largest harems of females.
What does elephant seal eat?
Behavior and Diet
- Northern elephant seals’ diet primarily consists of squid and fishes, but they also consume rays and sharks.
- Northern elephant seals spend about 9 months of the year in the ocean.
- Northern elephant seals fast during the mating season and can lose up to 36 percent of their body weight during this time.
What is the lifespan of an elephant seal?
The average lifespan of a Northern Elephant Seal is 9 years, while the average lifespan of a Southern Elephant Seal is 21 years. Males reach maturity at five to six years, but generally do not achieve alpha status until the age of eight, with the prime breeding years being between ages 9 and 12.
How much does an elephant seal weigh?
The huge male northern elephant seal typically weighs 1,500–2,300 kg (3,300–5,100 lb) and measures 4–5 m (13–16 ft), although some males can weigh up to 3,700 kg (8,200 lb). Females are much smaller and can range from 400 to 900 kg (880 to 1,980 lb) in weight, or roughly a third of the male’s bulk, and measure from 2.5 to 3.6 m…
Elephant seal mating. (GA images) Mating occurs about three weeks after females give birth. They will mate with the male who has defended their harem from attack by other males during the nursing period. The mating is often very loud as the females bark when the male bites their neck and pins them down.
What is the classification of an elephant seal?
Elephant seals are marine mammals classified under the order Pinnipedia, which in Latin, means feather or fin footed. Elephant seals are considered true seals, and fall under the family Phocidae.