Northern leopard seal (SciiFii)

The northern leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx marinus) is a subspecies of leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the oceans and coastlines across the central and nothern hemisphere to help boost biodiversity. The northern leopard seal has a distinctively long and muscular body shape when compared to other seals, but it is best known among the "true" seals of the northern hemisphere for its reptilian-like head and massive jaws which are enormous for its body size and which allow it to be one of the top predators in its environment. The front teeth are sharp like those of other carnivores, but their molars lock together in a way that allows them to sieve krill from the water in the manner of the crabeater seal. The coat is counter-shaded with a silver to dark gray blend and a distinctive spotted "leopard" coloration pattern dorsally and a paler, white to light gray color ventrally. Females are slightly larger than males. The overall length of adults is 2.4–3.5 meters (7.9–11.5 feet) and weight is from 200 to 600 kilograms (440 to 1,320 lb) making them the same length as the saber-toothed walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) but usually less than half the weight. The whiskers are short and clear. As "true" seals, they do not have external ears or pinnae, but possess an internal ear canal that leads to an external opening. Their hearing in air is similar to that of a human, but northern leopard seals also use their ears in conjunction with their whiskers to track prey under water. Northern leopard seals are very vocal underwater during the austral summer. The northern leopard seal is carnivorous and usually eat mostly krill, squid and fish. Adult seals probably switch from krill to more substantial prey, including California, Florida, and Galapagos penguins, auks, and less frequently, sea lions, harbor, grey, ring, harp, ribbon, monk, hooded, and young northern elephant seals and walrus calves. Northern leopard seals are also known to take fur seal pups. Northern leopard seals' breeding system is polygynous, meaning that males mate with multiple females during the mating period. A sexually active female (ages 3–7) can give birth to a single pup or two during the summer on the floating ice floes of the pack ice or in coastlines, with a sexually active male (ages 6–7). Mating occurs from December to January, shortly after the pups are weaned when the female northern leopard seal is in estrus. In preparation for the pups, the females dig a circular hole in the ice or in soil as a home for the pup. A newborn pup weighs around 66 pounds and are usually with their mother for a month, before they are weaned off. The male northern leopard seal does not participate in taking care of the pup, and goes back to its solitary lifestyle after the breeding season. The conservation status of the northern leopard seal is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the northern leopard seal's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii