weddell seals
by thomas and james
General Information
scientific name: leptonychotes,weddelli.
Description:Weddell seals are large animals. Both adult males and females are about three metres long and weigh around 400-500 KG. The head is small relative to body size and the coulor is usually dappled grey and black on the back with a mostly white under belly.
Bibliography
Book:Creatures of the Antarctica.
Author:Sue Gough.
Illustrated by paul lennon.
First published 1992 by the Jacaranda Press.
Baker,Alan N.,Whales and Dolphins of New Zealand and Australia, Victoria University Press, Wellington, 1983.
Breeding
Weddell seals breed and live on the coast, staying around the fast ice and venturing only 15–20 km into the Southern Ocean to feed. Weddell seals haul-out onto the fast-ice to rest and moult, and for females to pup
Adaptations
Because Weddell seals breath air and live under the fast-ice they must breath through cracks and holes in the ice cover. There are many cracks in the ice during the warmer summer months.