Crabeater Seal Skull Replica
$227.00
The Crabeater Seal are by far the most abundant seal species in the world due to its specialized predation on the abundant Antarctic krill of the Southern Ocean, for which it has uniquely adapted, sieve-like tooth structure.
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Description
Crabeater Seal Skull Replica measures 11.0 inches. Crabeater Seal Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane Cast. Lobodon carcinophaga is the Crabeater seal scientific name. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.
The Crabeater Seal or Lobodon carcinophaga, also known as the krill-eater seal, is a true seal with a circumpolar distribution around the coast of Antarctica.
They are medium to large sized, relatively slender and pale-colored, found primarily on the free-floating pack ice that extends seasonally out from the Antarctic coast, which they use as a platform for resting, mating, social aggregation and accessing their prey.
The Crabeater Seal or Lobodon carcinophaga are by far the most abundant seal species in the world. While population estimates are uncertain, there are at least 7 million and possibly as many as 75 million individuals. Despite its name, Crabeater seals do not eat crabs.
These seals are covered mostly by brown or silver fur, with darker coloration around flippers. The color fades throughout the year, and recently molted seals appear darker than the silvery-white crabeater seals that are about to molt. Crabeater Seals can raise their heads and arch their backs while on ice, and they are able to move quickly.
Pups are born with a light brown, downy fur, until the first molt at weaning. Younger animals are marked by net-like, chocolate brown markings and flecks on the shoulders, sides and flanks, shading into the predominantly dark hind and fore flippers and head.
After molting, their fur is a darker brown fading to blonde on their bellies. The fur lightens throughout the year, becoming completely blonde in summer.
Crabeater Seal or Lobodon carcinophaga have relatively slender bodies and long skulls and snouts. Their most distinctive adaptation is the unique dentition that enables this species to sieve Antarctic krill.
The Crabeater seal or Lobodon carcinophaga is a specialist predator on Antarctic krill, which comprise over 90 percent of the diet. There is little seasonality in their prey preference, but other prey items include cephalopods and diverse Antarctic fish species.
Crabeater Seal Facts:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Clade: Pinnipedia
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Lobodon
Species: L. carcinophaga
Binomial name: Lobodon carcinophaga
Conservation status: Least concern
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Additional information
| Weight | 6 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 11 in |
| International Seal Day - March 22nd | Every year on March 22nd, the International Day of the Seal promotes the conservation of seals worldwide. It’s also a day to celebrate this amazing marine mammal. A seal is a type of animal called a pinniped, which is Latin for “fin-footed.” Other pinnipeds include the walrus and sea lion. What makes seals different than other pinnipeds is that they don’t really use their flippers to walk. When on land, they usually slide around on their bellies. In the water, their flippers help them swim really fast. Seals are also much quieter and smaller than their sea lion and walrus cousins. |
