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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
crabeater
seal |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Pinnipedia |
| FAMILY: |
Phocidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Lobodon
carcinophagus |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
crabeater seal is a slender, streamlined seal with
silvery gray to whitish fur and a long, slightly
upturned snout. Younger crabeater seals have small
specks and webs of brown or dark gray over much
of their dorsal side. Pups are grayish brown with
very light scattered spots. |
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| SIZE: |
Both
males and females may reach 2.6 m (8.53 ft.) in
length |
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| WEIGHT: |
Weigh
up to 225 kg (496 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Mainly
feeds on krill (a shrimp-like crustacean) |
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| GESTATION: |
Approximately
11 months for total gestation, with a 2.7 month
period of delayed implantation |
| ESTRAL
PERIOD |
Typically
4 days after weaning |
| NURSING
DURATION |
Approximately
14-28 days (average 17 days) |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
2-6
years |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
May
be up to 39 years |
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| RANGE: |
Lives
in and around the Antarctic |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
pack ice |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown,
but in the millions |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Lower
Risk/least concern |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Crabeater
seals belong to the scientific order Pinnipedia,
which includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. |
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| 2. |
Seals
differ from sea lions in a number of ways, including
having no visible earflaps. |
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| 3. |
Antarctic
seals tend to have longer, more pointed foreflippers
than northern phocids. |
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| 4. |
Their
unique teeth allow crabeater seals to strain krill
out of seawater. |
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| 5. |
Crabeater
seals are unique among phocids in that this species
forms family groups consisting of an adult female,
her pup, and an adult male. The male usually joins
a pregnant female shortly before or after the pup's
birth and remains with the female until after the
pup is weaned and mating occurs. During the time
a family group is together, the adult male defends
the female and pup from other adult males. |
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Many
crabeater seals often bear scars from leopard
seal and, to a lesser extent, from killer whale
attacks.
Scientists
consider crabeater seals to be the most abundant
of any pinniped species.
Antarctic
seals, including the crabeater, leopard, Weddell,
Ross, southern elephant, and Antarctic fur seals,
are protected by the Convention for the Conservation
of Antarctic Seals.
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|
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| |
|
|
| Bonner,
N. Seals and Sea Lions of the World. New
York. Facts on File, Inc. 2004. |
|
| Byrum,
J. Pinnipeds From Pole to Pole: Seals, Sea Lions
and Walruses. SeaWorld Education Department
Publication. San Diego. SeaWorld, Inc. 2000. |
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|
Jefferson,
T.J. Leatherwood, S. and M.A. Webber. FAO Species
Identification Guide. Marine Mammals of the World.
Rome. FAO, 1993.
|
|
| Larws,
R.M., Baird, A. and M.M Bryden. "Breeding season
and embryonic diapause in crabeater seals (Lobodon
carcinophagus)". Reproduction. 126:
365-370. 2003. |
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| Nowak,
Ronald M. (ed.). Walker's Marine Mammals of the
World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,
2003. |
|
| Parker,
S. (ed.). Grizmek's Encyclopedia of Mammals.
Vol. IV. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.,
1990. |
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| Reeves,
R. R., Stewart, B.S., Clapman, P.J., and J.A. Powell
(Peter Folkens illustrator). National Audubon
Society: Guide to Marine Mammals of the World.
New York: Random House, 2002. |
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| Reeves,
R.R., Stewart, B.S. and S. Stephen. The Sierra
Club Handbook of Seals and Sirenians. San Francisco:
Sierra Club Books, 1992. |
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| Ridgway,
S.H. and R.J. Harrison (Eds). Handbook of Marine
Mammals: Volume 2: Seals. London. Academic Press,
1981. |
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| Riedman,
M. The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions and Walruses.
Berkeley and Los Angeles. University of California
Press. 1990. |
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