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Weddell Seal Skull Replica
$272.00
The Weddell Seal inhabits the entire Antarctic continent as well as some of its neighboring islands. They feed on various fish & squid. As an adaptation to underwater nocturnal feeding, the Weddell Seal has keen night vision.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Weddell Seal Skull Replica measures 11 inches. Weddell Seal Skull replica is museum quality polyurethane resin cast. Made in USA. 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 Weddell seal or Leptonychotes weddellii is a relatively large and abundant true seal (family: Phocidae) with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica.
The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British sealing captain James Weddell to the area of the Southern Ocean now known as the Weddell Sea. The life history of this species is well documented since it occupies fast ice environments close to the Antarctic continent and often adjacent to Antarctic bases.
Weddell seals or Leptonychotes weddellii measure about 8 ft. 2 in to 11 ft. 6 in long and weigh 880 to 1,320 lbs. They are amongst the largest seals, with a rather bulky body and short fore flippers relative to their body length.
Males weigh less than females, usually about 1,100 lbs. or less. Male and female Weddell seals or Leptonychotes are generally about the same length, though females can be slightly larger. However, the male seal tends to have a thicker neck and a broader head and muzzle than the female.
The Weddell seal or Leptonychotes face has been compared to that of a cat due to a short mouth line and similarities in the structure of the nose and whiskers.
The Weddell seal or Leptonychotes grows a thin fur coat around its whole body except for small areas around the flippers. The color and pattern of the coat varies, often fading to a duller color as the seal ages. This coat moults around the beginning of summer. Adults show a counter-shaded coloration that varies from bluish-black to dark gray dorsally and to light gray/silver ventrally.
Weddell seals or Leptonychotes dive to forage for food, maintain breathing holes in fast ice, and explore to find more ice holes. They have been observed to dive as deep as 600 m for up to an hour.
These seals exhibit a diel dive pattern, diving deeper and longer during the day than at night. Weddell seals are top predators in the Antarctic. They eat an array of fish, bottom-feeding prawns, cephalopods and crustaceans.
Weddell Seal Facts:
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Clade: Pinnipediformes
Clade: Pinnipedia
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Leptonychotes
Gill, 1872
Species: L. weddellii
Binomial name: Leptonychotes weddellii
Conservation status: Lease 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. |
