Welcome to our new post! Are you curious about how fast seals swim? Do dogs and seals share a common ancestor? Find the answers to these questions and many more fascinating facts in this article.
Seals can sleep both in and out of the water. When they sleep in the water, their bodies usually stay submerged while their snout stays above the surface.
Do you know how long a seal can stay underwater without breathing? 30 minutes. On the other hand, elephant seals can stay underwater for up to 2 hours without breathing.
Southern elephant seals are the largest. Males can grow up to 4.5 meters long and weigh around 3,000 kg. In contrast, ringed seals are the smallest, measuring up to 160 cm and weighing about 70 kg.
Did you know that every year, discarded fishing nets in the sea kill around 136,000 seals, turtles, whales, and other marine animals?
An interesting fact about seals is that, along with walruses and sea lions, they have the longest whiskers in the animal kingdom. Their whiskers provide them with a tactile sense and help them navigate.
Seals don't have ears, only ear canals. Their auditory shell allows them to pick up vibrations both in and out of the water. They must leave the water to care for their pups, as raising them on land helps them learn to hunt safely away from marine predators.
They are carnivorous animals. The biggest predators of seals are orcas, sharks, and polar bears. Due to their calm nature, they are also an easy target for humans, who hunt them for their fur, meat, and fat.
They can swim at speeds of up to 25 km/h.
Did you know that cats, dogs, seals, and other mammals share a common ancestor? They are all genetic evolutions of Dormaalocyon latouri, an extinct animal resembling a mix between a squirrel and a cat. It's no coincidence that seals are often called "dogs of the sea."
Elephant seals can dive up to 1,000 meters deep. To deal with decompression, they exhale the air stored in their muscles. Hemoglobin also helps them store oxygen and maintain their oxygen levels.
A curious fact about seals is that when comparing their blood volume with that of land mammals of the same size, seals have twice the amount of blood. They also have about 50% more hemoglobin in their blood.
Elephant seals are very territorial when it comes to their harems on land, often engaging in fights with other males to defend their territory. Harems usually consist of 30 to 100 females. The males have keratinized skin, which protects them during territorial fights.
Females tend to live longer than males, between 20 and 25 years. The life expectancy of males is around 15 years. Males weigh about ten times more than females.
One interesting fact about elephant seals is that they are the only mammals that migrate twice a year.
Monk seals and elephant seals are the only species that shed their skin to change their fur. To do this, they need increased blood circulation in their skin, passing through the layer of fat that protects them from the cold.
📚 Data source:
https://www.worldanimalprotection.cr/noticias-y-blogs/blogs/datos-curiosos-focas/
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirounga_leonina
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pusa_hispida
https://www.ecologiaverde.com/curiosidades-de-las-focas-4811.html
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