Leopard Seal

Leopard seals are large members of the seal family reaching between 2.41-3.4 m in length and weighing between 200-591 kg. Females are slightly larger than males. Their massive bodies have large heads and long broad foreflippers. Unlike other seal species that swim by moving their hind limbs side to side, leopard seals swim gracefully using long, powerful, simultaneous strokes of the forelimbs simultaneously. Adults are dark gray to black in color with varying dark spots on the dorsal side and pale on the ventral side. Pup's have soft, thick coats with a dorsal stripe and black spots on the light gray ventral side. Adults have well developed canine teeth, and three tubercles or lobes on the sides of their jaws that allow them to filter krill from the water.

Leopard seals eat a varied diet. They are the only pinnipeds whose diet includes a significant amount of warm-blooded animals. They have been known to attack  and fur seals. They prey on krill (estimated at 45% of their diet), other seals (30%) particularly young crabeater seals,penguins (10%), and fish and cephalopods (10%). Proportions vary according to age and availability. Like other seals, they are also known to scavange the carrion of whales and other sealscrabeater.Leopard seals can dive up to 15 minutes, however because their diet includes warm-blooded animals they are not deep diving seals. Leopard seals are awkward on land, however, their unusually large fore-flippers give them speed and agility in the water. They are sometimes preyed on by orca mens killer whales

Male leopard seals reach sexual maturity between age 6-7, females 3-7. Mating season lasts from November to February. Males are thought to be serially polygynous. Gestation lasts around 11 months, but implantation appears to be delayed for about 2 months. Most births occur in October and November. The female gives birth to a single pup weighing about 30 kg and about 1.6 m long and nurses for about a month. Males do not seem to participate in parental care. The life span of leopard seals is about 26 years.