The leopard seal is circumpolar in the pack ice zone of the Antarctic Ocean. The coat is silver to dark grey above, paler below, with light and dark spots on the throat, shoulders, sides, and belly. Often described as having a reptillian appearance, the body is elongate, with a large head and massive jaws. The canine and postcanine teeth are also massive. Pups are born from September - January on the pack ice, and occasionally on islands.
Newborn pups have a long, soft lanugo with a pattern resembling that of the adult.
Nursing lasts about 4 weeks. Leopard seals are solitary, usually found alone on the ice and at sea, but often in association with other pinniped species or large colonies of penguins. Status Data from between 1968 and 1983 indicate a world population minimally in the order of 300,000-500,000. Threats to the Species Sources Reijnders, P. et al. 1993. Seals, Fur Seals, Sea Lions, and Walrus.