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Weddell seals are earless seals that live under the permanent ice that surrounds the Antarctic coast. There they are fairly safe from predators such as killer whales and leopard seals.
Both adult males
and females are about 3m long and weigh around 400-500kg. The
head is small and the colour is usually blackish grey on the back
with a paler underside.
Weddell seal pups - photograph © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation
Weddell
seals breathe air through cracks and holes in the ice. There
are many cracks in the ice during the warmer summer months. During
winter these openings freeze over and the seals use their teeth
to scrape open the new ice to make holes through which to breathe.
This wears down their teeth over the years to the extent that
they may eventually be unable to feed or keep the air holes open.
In the darkness under the ice, their navigation skills must be
very accurate in order to find breathing holes before they run
out of breath.
Weddell seals come
out onto the ice to rest and moult, and for females to give birth.
When out on the ice, they stay close to the hole they came out
of.
During the breeding season males defend underwater territories from other males for access to breathing holes and females. Pups are born in October weighing 25-30kg. Their mothers care for them for six weeks, during which time they grow to 110-140kg.
Weddell seals are carnivores. Their food varies according to the season and location, but fish, octopus and prawns are their common food. The seals are able to remain underwater for up to 45minutes, diving to about 720m in search of prey. Long shallow dives are probably exploration dives searching
for new ice holes and food sources.
photograph © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation
Elephant
seals...Leopard
seals...Australian fur
seals...
Crabeater
seals
Click
here to see photos of Antarctic seals
If you use any part of this,
acknowledge it in your bibliography like this:
Antarctic
Animals (2002).
[Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
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updated July 2007