Earless seal

Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina ) on the beach on the dune

The earless seals ( Phocidae ) are the largest of the three families of the Seals ( Pinnipedia ). At the most species-rich is the family in the Arctic and Antarctic Ocean; also in temperate latitudes they are represented several times, while only a few species live in the tropics. Seal and gray seal, the two domestic at German coastal seal species belong to the earless seals.

Size and weight

The earless seals include both the largest and the smallest seals. On average, however, they are smaller than the representatives of the eared seals and walruses. The smallest species are Baikal seals and ringed seals with lengths of 110-140 cm and a weight of about 50 kg. The size record is held by southern elephant whose bulls can be six and a half feet long and three and a half tons.

Elephant seals come simultaneously with the coat and the top layer of their skin, which then dissolves into large pieces.

Fins

Dog seals seem to have no visible neck, the head attaches directly to the body. Yet you have but like almost all mammals seven cervical vertebrae. The neck region is interspersed with powerful muscles. When swimming, the head is usually downwards, but can be stretched to grasp a prey quickly.

Locomotion

These features provide a better adaptation to aquatic life is as it is given at the eared seals. This comes at the cost of locomotion on land that acts awkward at the earless seals. Since the front fins are no longer suitable to support the body, and the hind flippers can not be pushed under the body, earless seals move on his belly crawling forward. They bend to the back, move the rear body forward and then push the chest forward. Because this movement is very tedious, they try to move often by seitwärtiges roles. Less adversely affect the locomotion of true seals in ice and snow, where a low drive sufficient to slide the body over the smooth surface.

Often seen in the lions the " primitive " and the true seals, the " advanced" group. However, the modern system avoids such classifications, and also fossil remains of both taxa are about the same age.

Way of life

In general, true seals do not form large colonies as the eared seals. However, the elephant seals have a very similar behavior with fighting males who watch over harems developed. Most earless seals are solitary or live in small organizations.

The earless seals are often divided into a number of subfamilies. A common method is to separate the true seals in the southern hemisphere as Mona Chinae of the true seals of the Northern Hemisphere ( Phocinae ). The Mona Chinae are characterized by a shortened first metacarpal bone of the front flippers and vestigial claws on the hind flippers.

• Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis ); However, this species is considered extinct.

• Northern elephant seal ( Mirounga angustirostris )
• Southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina )

• Genus Cystophora (Cystophora cristata )

• Bearded seal ( Erignathus barbatus)

• Largha Seal (Phoca largha )

Elephant seals ( Mirounga )