[69], Before diving, pinnipeds typically exhale to empty their lungs of half the air[70] and then close their nostrils and throat cartilages to protect the trachea. "Pinniped evolution", pp. [55], The pinniped ear is adapted for hearing underwater, where it can hear sound frequencies at up to 70,000 Hz. [111], Lek systems are known to exist among some populations of walruses. Berta, A. New Zealand sea lions feed on pups of some fur seal species, and the South American sea lion may prey on South American fur seals. [185], Pinnipeds are also threatened by humans indirectly. We made the list of famous Antarctic Animals. [27], The lineages of Otariidae and Odobenidae split almost 28 Mya. The leopard seal is known to prey on numerous other species, especially the crabeater seal. In some phocid species, like the harbor seal, Weddell seal and bearded seal, the males have underwater territories called "maritories" near female haul-out areas. [160], Pinnipeds can be found in facilities around the world, as their large size and playfulness make them popular attractions. They typically last 5–7 minutes with average depths to 30–45 m (98–148 ft). The former also tend to be larger than the latter. Conservation status: Endangered; The Australian sea lion is a member of a group of animals known as the pinnipeds, which contains the seals, sea lions and walrus. [41] As in most marine mammals, the kidneys are divided into small lobes and can effectively absorb water and filter out excess salt. Pinnipeds also have very muscular and vascularized irises. Seals are also of great importance in the culture of the Inuit. [9] Of the three extant families, the Otariidae and Odobenidae are grouped in the superfamily Otarioidea,[10] while the Phocidae belong to the superfamily Phocoidea. Aardvark from The Ant and the Aardvark; Aardvarkina, a twin sister aardvark in Princess Tutu; Arnie the aardvark in Boner's Ark. Famous Seals. In the 1980s and 1990s, South African politicians and fisherman demanded that the fur seals be culled, believing that the animals competed with commercial fisheries. However, Weddell seal hunting is prohibited between September and February if the animal is over one year of age, to ensure breeding stocks are healthy. Exploited species included harp seals, hooded seals, Caspian seals, elephant seals, walruses and all species of fur seal. [115][116] Males defend their territorial boundaries with threatening vocalizations and postures, but physical fights are usually avoided. Hoover (c. 1971 – July 25, 1985) was a harbor seal who was able to imitate basic human speech. Proponents of seal hunts insist that the animals are killed humanely and the white-coated pups are not taken, while opponents argue that it is irresponsible to kill harp seals as they are already threatened by declining habitat. They are entirely absent from Indomalayan waters. It has since recolonized much of its historic range, but has a population bottleneck. These large animals feed on a variety of small prey that can find along the floor. [110], Other seals, like the walrus and most phocids, breed on ice with copulation usually taking place in the water (a few land-breeding species also mate in water). [109], Polygynous species also tend to be extremely sexual dimorphic in favor of males. [11], Otariids are also known as eared seals due to the presence of pinnae. Several species had enlarged upper and lower canines. To keep their blood pressure stable, phocids have an elastic aorta that dissipates some of the energy of each heartbeat. 316–321 in Perrin, Würsig and, Weller, D. W. "Predation on marine mammals", pp. To be quite honest, they are extremely self-centered and rarely put the needs of others before their own. [25], Enaliarctos, a fossil species of late Oligocene/early Miocene (24–22 Mya) California, closely resembled modern pinnipeds; it was adapted to an aquatic life with a flexible spine, and limbs modified into flippers. Some species also rest on man-made structures, like piers, jetties, buoys and oil platforms. In addition to foraging, vibrissae may also play a role in navigation; spotted seals appear to use them to detect breathing holes in the ice. It can constitute as much as 50% of a pinniped's body weight. Sometimes Hoover would hide … and would not appear until George yelled, “Get out of there and come over here!” Then Hoover would come out of hiding and rush over to George and greet him with a wet, fishy kiss.”[4] It was during this time that Hoover began to mimic George’s thick, gruff accent and catchphrases.[5]. The lens is mostly spherical, and much of the retina is equidistant from the lens center. [13], Phocids are known as true or "earless" seals. An exception to this is the walrus, where females form dense aggregations perhaps due to their patchy food sources. [158] The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped the sea and its animals, and often depicted sea lions in their art. [7], None of Hoover's six pups (daughters Joey, Amelia, and Trumpet and sons Lucifer, Cinder, and Spark)[1] spoke, but his grandson Chacoda (or "Chucky") has shown an ability to be guided in his vocalizations. Some species use their fore-flippers to pull themselves forward. The elbows and ankles are enclosed within the body. [37], When swimming, otariids rely on their fore-flippers for locomotion in a wing-like manner similar to penguins and sea turtles. When moving in water, the walrus relies on its hind-flippers for locomotion, while its fore-flippers are used for steering. Nevertheless, when disturbed by intruders harbor seals and Baikal seals may slap their fore-flippers against their bodies as warnings. [176] There has been some debate over the cause of the decline of Steller sea lions in Alaska since the 1970s. In addition, the vocals of northern elephant seals may produce infrasonic vibrations. [13] The monochines diversified southward. The size of a northern male elephant seal is... Read More ->. [76], The main adaptations of the pinniped circulatory system for diving are the enlargement and increased complexity of veins to increase their capacity. Detecting vibrations is useful when the animals are foraging and may add to or even replace vision, particularly in darkness. [151] They demonstrate the ability to understand simple syntax and commands when taught an artificial sign language, though they only rarely used the signs semantically or logically. [16] The fossil monachine Monotherium and phocine Leptophoca were found in southeastern North America. Like a modern otter, Puijila had a long tail, short limbs and webbed feet instead of flippers. 542–546 in Perrin, Würsig and, Kastelein, R. A. Sadly, Hoover didn’t have a good start in life. In terrestrially breeding species, pups may get crushed by fighting males. Pups are more commonly taken by orcas, but adults can be targeted as well. They look really majestic when they sit on the ice. Most species are preyed on by the killer whale or orca. The IUCN declared it extinct in 1996. The length of the intestine may be an adaptation to frequent deep diving, as the increased volume of the digestive tract serves as an extended storage compartment for partially digested food during submersion. [167], Commercial sealing was historically just as important an industry as whaling. Visual displays also occur: Weddell seals will make an S-shaped posture when patrolling under the ice, and Ross seals will display the stripes on their chests and teeth when approached. [32] The mammary glands and genitals of pinnipeds can retract into the body. [162], Some modern exhibits have rocky backgrounds with artificial haul-out sites and a pool, while others have pens with small rocky, elevated shelters where the animals can dive into their pools. It was once thought to be ithyphallic, an interpretation that has been questioned by many critics and even supporters. [10], In Series 4 Episode 11[11] of the British comedy panel game show QI (Quite Interesting), host Stephen Fry asked a question regarding "Hoover the talking seal”. The ancestor of the Baikal seal migrated into Lake Baikal from the Arctic (via the Siberian ice sheet) and became isolated there. Size of a southern male elephant seal is about 6 meters (20 feet) long, and weight up to 6000 kilograms (8,800 pounds). This "rhythmic entrainment" was previously seen only in humans, parrots and other birds possessing vocal mimicry. Pinnipeds do not have an appendix. The Australian sea lion is the only pinniped endemic to (only found in) Australia. The extinct family Desmatophocidae lived 23–10 Mya in the North Atlantic and had elongated skulls, fairly large eyes, cheekbones connected by a mortised structure and rounded cheek teeth. [173] The Japanese sea lion was common around the Japanese islands, but overexploitation and competition from fisheries drastically decreased the population in the 1930s. [157] One of the earliest Ancient Greek coins depicts the head of a seal, and the animals were mentioned by Homer and Aristotle. When threatened by other adults or when pups try to suckle, females make a harsh, pulsed call. They also lack supraorbital processes on the frontal and have underdeveloped calcaneal tubers. Pinnipeds belong to the order Carnivora; their closest living relatives are bears and the superfamily of musteloids (weasels, raccoons, skunks, and red pandas), having diverged about 50 million years ago. [177], Some species have become so numerous that they conflict with local people. Although pinnipeds are widespread, most species prefer the colder waters of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. [97], Seals typically consume their prey underwater where it is swallowed whole. [56] One study of three species—the harbor seal, California sea lion and northern elephant seal—found that the sea lion was best adapted for airborne hearing, the harbor seal was equally capable of hearing in air and water, and the elephant seal was better adapted for underwater hearing. [105], Interspecific predation among pinnipeds does occur. Man seems to be the only animal whose food soils him, making necessary much washing and shield-like bibs and napkins. [46] The fore-flippers move in a transverse, rather than a sagittal fashion. [24] Their evolutionary link to terrestrial mammals was unknown until the 2007 discovery of Puijila in early Miocene deposits in Nunavut, Canada. Upon their arrival, George informed the Aquarium staff that Hoover could talk, but none of the attendants believed him so he did not press the point. On account of this unique feature, Hoover became famous and appeared along with the Swallows in publications such as Reader’s Digest and The New Yorker and the television program Good Morning, America. [165] The Navy insists that the sea lions are removed once their mission is complete. [81] In the Antarctic, which lacks terrestrial predators, pinniped species spend more time on the ice than their Arctic counterparts. Article from stuff.co.nz. [169] Several species that were commercially exploited have rebounded in numbers; for example, Antarctic fur seals may be as numerous as they were prior to harvesting. Elephant seals do not swim until weeks after they are weaned. Kyle makes number one on the list of most famous Navy SEALs because his actions in Iraq raised the standards for what a SEAL is capable of. The Baikal seal is the only freshwater species, though some ringed seals live in freshwater lakes in Russia close to the Baltic sea. [128] All species go through delayed implantation, wherein the embryo remains in suspended development for weeks or months before it is implanted in the uterus. Due to the high number of harvesting in the 18th and 19th century, the Australian Government is trying to protect the seal population and The Great Barrier Reef is become and important place for the seal. More than 100,000 phocids (especially ringed seals) as well as around 10,000 walruses are harvested annually by native hunters. [83] Monk seals and some otariids live in tropical and subtropical waters. They are unintentionally caught in fishing nets by commercial fisheries and accidentally swallow fishing hooks. [87], Pinnipeds have an amphibious lifestyle; they spend most of their lives in the water, but haul out to mate, raise young, molt, rest, thermoregulate or escape from aquatic predators. All fully furred species molt; phocids molt once a year, while otariids gradually molt all year. The genera Phoca and Pusa could have arisen when a phocine lineage traveled from the Paratethys Sea to the Arctic Basin and subsequently went eastward. [170], Several species of pinniped continue to be harvested. [118] The maritories of Weddell seal males can overlap with female breathing holes in the ice. Animal rights organizations traveled to Afghanistan to help the lion and other animals in the Kabul Zoo. Hunter, a leopard seal in The Penguins of Madagascar; Short Fuse, a harp seal in the Penguins of Madagascar; Sophie, a circus seal whom Dr. Dolittle befriends and helps escape back to the ocean, in Doctor Dolittle's Circus and also in Dr. Dolittle; Lou Seal: mascot for the San Francisco Giants Subadult elephant seals will sneak into female clusters and try to blend in by pulling in their noses. [31] The walrus has unique upper canines that are elongated into tusks. The anthropologist, A. Asbjørn Jøn, has analysed beliefs of the Celts of Orkney and Hebrides who believed in selkies—seals that could change into humans and walk on land. Otariids establish territories containing resources that attract females, such as shade, tide pools or access to water. [130] Typically, single pups are born;[128] twins are uncommon and have high mortality rates. This is reduced in bright light, as the retracted pupil reduces the lens and cornea's ability to bend light. 1212–1216 in Perrin, Würsig and, Lavinge, D. M.; Kovacs, K. M.; Bonner, W. N. "Seals and Sea lions" 147–155 in MacDonald (2001), Forcada, J. Species commonly entangled include California sea lions, Hawaiian monk seals, northern fur seals and brown fur seals. They live in the Arctic lowlands near the sea where they can catch fish and jump in the water. [93] The longest recorded lifespans include 43 years for a wild female ringed seal and 46 years for a wild female grey seal. The deep split between the lineages of Erignathus and Cystophora 17 Mya suggests that the phocines migrated eastward and northward from the North Atlantic. 585–588 in Perrin, Würsig and Thewissen (2009), Duffield, D. A. [28] Blubber serves both to keep the animals warm and to provide energy and nourishment when they are fasting. Leopard seals are usually ambush hunters; they often wait below an ice shelf for the birds to dive in to find food. In one legend, seals, whalesand other marine mammals were formed from her sever… [60] These vibrations are generated, for example, when a fish swims through water. Hence polygyny tends to be weaker in ice-breeding species. [144] Similar calls have been recorded in other lobodontine seals[145] and in bearded seals. While seals were historically thought to have descended from two ancestral lines, molecular evidence supports them as a monophyletic lineage (descended from one ancestral line). [57] Although pinnipeds have a fairly good sense of smell on land,[58] it is useless underwater as their nostrils are closed. 861–66 in Perrin, Würsig and, Berta, A. [161] Some organizations, such as the Humane Society of the United States and World Animal Protection, object to keeping pinnipeds and other marine mammals in captivity. It wasn’t until 5 years later, as an adult seal, that Hoover became comfortable with his surroundings at the Aquarium and began to utter phrases such as: “Hello, there!” and “Come Over Here!” in a thick New England accent similar to Swallow’s.