Are walruses or seals better

here`s some pros and cons With the exception of the Baikal seal, which is endemic to a freshwater lake of the same name in Russia, pinnipeds are marine creatures found around the poles and in temperate regions. Elephant seals and walruses, which can weigh up to 8,800 and 3,700 pounds, respectively, are the largest pinnipeds. All pinnipeds have streamlined bodies, sometimes likened to torpedoes, which give them better mobility in water than on land. Walruses and the overwhelming majority of seals are social animals that gather in huge numbers during breeding seasons. Ears Both seals and walruses have an acute sense of hearing, particularly at sea. True seals are sometimes called earless seals because they lack external ear organs, as do walruses. Otarids, on the other hand, are easily distinguished by the presence of ear flaps. Flippers A true seal's front flippers are much smaller than those of other pinnipeds. Sea lions, fur seals and walruses can bring their hind flippers forward, under their bodies, which enables them to move on all fours on land. True seals lack this capability and must drag themselves with their front claws or flop around on their bellies. In water, true seals propel themselves by swaying their hind flippers in a fish-like manner, while walruses and otarids swim using their forelimbs. Tusks The walrus' distinctive feature is a pair of ivory tusks, a trait unique among pinnipeds. Both male and female walruses have tusks, which are overgrown canine teeth that can be as long as 3 feet. They use their tusks in self-defense -- against predators and, in the case of males, rival walruses -- and also employ them as ice-picks to lift themselves out of the water. Diet All pinnipeds are carnivores. True seals, fur seals and sea lions feed mostly on fish and crustaceans. The exception is the leopard seal, a true seal that resembles the feline whose name it bears, not only in the spots on its coat, but also in its reputation as a predator; found in the waters of Antarctica, leopard seals are the only pinnipeds that eat other warm-blooded animals, such as penguins, and even other seals. The diet of walruses, on the other hand, consists mostly of shellfish, like clams and mussels, which they suck up off the ocean floor. All Arctic seals have the same basic body shape -- large and squat, tapering down to hind flippers at the back, and with two fore flippers -- but they have visible differences. Ribbon seals are brown or black with four ribbons of white running across their bodies, though these markings are more distinctive on males. Spotted seals are silver-gray, with irregular dark spots. Bearded seals are solid colored light gray to dark brown. Harp seals are light gray with black faces and black horseshoe shapes on their backs. Ringed seals can vary in coloring but are usually gray-back with black spots that are circled by white rings. Hooded seals are silver or light gray, with black spots or patches. How Big They Are Arctic seals range in size depending on their species. The smallest of them all are ringed seals which are 4 to 4 1/2 feet long, on average, and weigh between 110 and 150 pounds. By contrast, hooded seals are the largest found in the Arctic region, measuring between roughly 8 and 10 feet long and weighing in at up to 880 pounds. Spotted, ribbon and harp seals are on the smaller end of the spectrum, with maximum weights of 250 pounds, 175 pounds and 400 pounds, respectively. Bearded seals are larger, with a maximum weight of almost 800 pounds. What They Eat Arctic seals are swift and graceful swimmers who do all of their hunting in the ocean, so a variety of marine creatures are on the menu. They tend to have quite a generalized diet, hunting for a range of different fish, crustaceans, squid, mollusks and marine invertebrates, depending on what foods are abundant in their area. Overfishing of certain species, such as cod, has reduced the amount of food available for some Arctic seals. What Threats They Face Several threats exist for Arctic seals. One of the major ones is predation from species such as polar bears, orcas and sharks. Certain seals have their own adaptations to avoid predation, for instance baby harp seals have white coats to blend in with the snow and male hooded seals have inflatable sacs on their heads they can use to startle potential predators. Of course, humans are also predators and will hunt them for meat and fur. All of these seal species are also at risk from pollution and habitat degradation. While there's no one species called the Arctic seal, six seal species live in the Arctic region: ribbon seals, ringed seals, harp seals, bearded seals, hooded seals and spotted seals. They have more threats from predators -- including humans -- and pollution than their Antarctic cousins. Seals and walruses comprise a group of 33 aquatic mammal species with flippers known as pinnipeds, which is Latin for "feather-footed." Biologists group pinnipeds into three families: true seals, or phocids; sea lions and fur seals, known as otarids; and walruses, or odobenids. The walrus, of which there is only one species, found around the North Pole, has features that liken it to its true seal relatives, but it also shares traits with otarids.