Amsterdam Island - Southern Elephant Seal (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) is one of two species of elephant seal. It is not only the most massive pinniped but also the largest member of the order Carnivora living today. The seal gets its name from its great size and the large proboscis of the adult males, which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating season. The Southern elephant seal is distinguished from the Northern elephant seal by its greater body mass and a wider proboscis. There is a great sexual dimorphism in size, possibly the largest of any mammal, with the males much larger than the females. While the females average about 400-900 kg (880-1,980 lb) and 2.6-3 m (8.6-10 feet) long, the bulls average around 2,200-4,000 kg (4,847-8,800 lb) and 4.2-5 m (13-16.5 feet) long. The record bull, shot in Possession Bay, South Georgia in 1913, was 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) and 6.9 m (22.5 feet) long. The maximum size of a female is 1,000 kg (2,210 lb) and 3.7 m (12.2 ft). Close-up of juvenile Southern Elephant seal, showing face and mouth detailThe eyes are large, round and black. The width of the eyes and a high concentration of low light pigments suggests that sight plays an important role in the capture of prey. Like all seals, elephant seals have hind limbs whose ends form the tail and tail fin. Each of the "feet" can deploy five long webbed fingers. This agile, dual palm is used to propel water. The pectoral fins are used little while swimming. While the hind limbs are unfit for locomotion on land, elephant seals use their fins as support to propel their bodies. They are able to propel themselves quickly (as fast as 8km/h) in this way for short-distance travel, to return to water, catch up with a female or chase an intruder. P... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=20598100