L. weddellii Seal Skull replica measures 11 inches. L. weddellii Seal Skull replica is museum quality polyurethane resin cast. Known as Weddell Seal
L. weddellii or Weddell seals measure about 8 ft 2 in to 11 ft 6 in long and weigh 880 to 1,320 lb.
They are amongst the largest seals, with a rather bulky body and short fore flippers relative to their body length.
Male and female L. weddellii or Weddell seals communicate through a variety of sounds, specifically, males sometimes use “trills” to communicate. Weddell seals are also able to communicate with each other through different mediums.
L. weddellii or Weddell seals or Weddell seals on ice can hear the calls of Weddell seals in the water as long as the noise level on land is low and they are nearby of one another.
Sound waves can be transmitted either through the ice itself or from water to breathing holes where female Weddell seals are usually resting.
There have been recordings of L. weddellii or Weddell seal vocalisations that are described as songs. Their songs consist of repetitive sequences of the same vocal elements, and they only vary slightly over time.
Individual Weddell seals can each produce their unique song, but singing behavior is not common when observed.
Vocalisations are also important in mother-pup Weddell seal interactions. Mother Weddell seals use vocalisations to call their pups from further distances when smell can no longer be used efficiently.
Pups also use higher, more urgent vocalisations when hungry to alert their mothers to feed them.
Weddell seals are the second most abundant species of Antarctic phocid, after the Crabeater seal.
The most recent estimate suggests a population of about 202,000 female seals, based on high-resolution satellite images from November 2011 that cover the full habitat range of the species.
This number includes females only, as males are mostly underwater guarding their territories in November. There are likely to be fewer males than females, as the ratio skews towards females with increasing age.
