This seals' size shows extreme sexual dimorphism, possibly the largest of any mammal, with the males typically five to six times heavier than the females. The Leopard seal bites the Elephant seal on the tail, which was a good target for the start. Leopard Seal vs American Alligator . Full text views reflects PDF downloads, PDFs sent to Google Drive, Dropbox and Kindle and HTML full text views. Published online by Cambridge University Press:  We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Currently they are protected under the Convention for the Conservation for Antarctic Seals (1972) limiting kill to 12,000 in any one year. The response of leopard seals to humans in different situations was considered using a categorical response scale. The leopard seal is named for its black-spotted coat. The death of a British marine biologist in Antarctica last month is thought to be the first human fatality caused by a leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx). The leopard seal measures nearly 4 meters (13 ft) in length, and can weigh over 600 kilograms (1,300 lb). But now, thanks to National Geographic grantee Douglas Krause, we’re getting an underwater glimpse into leopard seals’ carnivorous lives—and the seal-on-seal battles are a sight to behold. 23 March 2006. They can also be about 11 feet long. If you should have access and can't see this content please. "lang": "en" More specifically, interactions occurring at the ice edge, where leopard seals seek out prey, resulted in the highest response from leopard seals. The leopard-lion clade was distributed in the Asian and African Palearctic since at least the early Pliocene. Her first degree was in geology from the University of London. In July 2003 Kirsty Brown, a marine biologist at Rothera Research Station (West Antarctic Peninsula), was attacked and drowned by a leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx). Lea, Mary-Anne "metrics": true, The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said yesterday a rescue boat was launched immediately by her colleagues who saw the incident from the shore, but attempts to resuscitate the marine biologist failed. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. The leopard is a sister taxon to a clade within Panthera, consisting of the lion and the jaguar. Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are large but slender seals, with big heads and jaws that give them a frightening, dinosaur-like appearance. As the penguin or seal swims to shore, the leopard seal will … A leopard seal-Mer hybrid like the one here can easily exceed 1,000 pounds and there are still larger hybrids. Please remember; ALL SEALS ARE PROTECTED IN NEW ZEALAND by the Marine Mammal Act 1979 (MMPA). Leopard seals, believe it or not, have lots of spots. As a direct consequence, a study was initiated to analyse interactions between humans and leopard seals over the last thirty years utilising humanistic and observational data. Out of all the stuff a pod of orca might eat in the Antarctic or New Zealand waters, leopard seals must be almost the very most dangerous. If you see someone harassing a seal (see details below), please inform them of the rules … Continue reading "Approaching Leopard Seals" "metricsAbstractViews": false, They have a color gradient that shifts from white on their underside, to dark gray on their backs. While penguins and other seals are their normal prey, humans have been targeted in truly terrifying seal attacks, with at least one documented fatality. The footage showed one of the leopard seals, referred to as 397G, catching and losing six different fur seal pups as other leopard seals attack her to steal her prey. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? "subject": true, The de… (Your vote has been cast.) Ms Brown will be flown back to Britain after an inquest is held into the death, which will be organised under the auspices of the British Antarctic Territory, the governing body for the region. "Despite carrying out cardio-pulmonary resuscitation for one hour, the station doctor and [her] colleagues were unable to revive her," a BAS statement explained. Over this base color, leopard seals are dappled with gray or black spots. 2(20%) American Alligator. Hooker, Sascha K. In addition, sea lions have a loud bark and walk on their large rear flippers versus seals more wriggle on their belly and have smaller rear flippers. Then the Leopard seal bites the Elephant seal on the side, but the Elephant seal's blubber protected it. Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. 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