Leopard seal - Wikipedia
The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard, [3] is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). Its only natural predator is the orca. [4] It feeds on a wide range of prey including cephalopods, other pinnipeds, krill, fish, and birds, particularly penguins.
14 Leopard Seal Facts - Fact Animal
Leopard Seal Profile. The leopard seal is a carnivorous mammal known for its slender body and powerful jaws. Their exceptionally sharp teeth and impressive speed has allowed them to develop into one of the top predators in the Antarctic. Sometimes called the sea leopard, these agile animals feast on penguins, other seabirds, and shellfish.
Leopard Seal - National Geographic
Leopard seals use their powerful jaws and long teeth to kill smaller seals, fish, and squid. These effective predators live in frigid Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters, where they also eat...
Leopard Seal Teeth: Everything You Need to Know - A-Z Animals
Dec 23, 2021 · Leopard seals have sharpened cheek teeth which makes it easier for them to extract krill from water. Like other meat-eaters, leopard seals have sharp canines that can pierce through their prey’s bodies. What is unique to them, however, is their set of molars that lock together in order for them to filter the water with krill and devour them.
Leopard Seal - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio
Leopard seals have unique cheek teeth that are shaped to allow them to strain krill from the water. Their loose jaw can open as far as 160 degrees. These seals swim so fast they can "jump" out of the sea onto the edge of the ice to get prey such as penguins.
Leopard Seal Teeth: A Friendly Guide to Their Unique Features
Mar 15, 2024 · Leopard seals possess distinctive teeth that set them apart from other seal species. Like carnivores, they have sharp canines for piercing their prey. Uniquely, leopard seals’ molars lock together, allowing them to filter water while enjoying a krill-filled meal.
Fact sheet leopard seals
Leopard seals have a very unique set of teeth. Their molars are ‘trident’ shaped allowing them to ‘filter feed’ as they swim, trapping krill in their mouths as the sea water passes through. Their canine teeth can be as long as 2.5cm and are primarily used for grabbing and holding onto prey species such as penguins and fishes, while the ...
Hydrurga leptonyx - Society for Marine Mammalogy
Lacking the teeth necessary to slice its prey into manageable pieces, it flails its prey from side to side tearing and ripping it into smaller pieces. Krill meanwhile, is eaten by suction, and strained through the seal's teeth, allowing leopard seals to switch to different feeding styles.
Leopard Seals - Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition
While leopard seals are renowned for their hunting prowess, almost half of their diet is made up of krill and small crustaceans. This is reflected in their teeth: long, sharp canines up to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) for hunting, and lobed molars, which allow them to filter-feed on smaller prey, much like the crabeater seal .
Leopard seal | Antarctic, Predator, Hunting | Britannica
Dec 5, 2024 · The only seal that feeds on penguins, young seals, and other warm-blooded prey, the leopard seal is a slender animal with a relatively long head and long, three-cusped cheek teeth. It is named for its black-spotted, gray coat, and it attains a maximum length and weight (greater in the female) of about 3.5 metres (12 feet) and 380 kilograms (840 ...