Leopard Seal Facts | Leopard Seal Diet & Habitat

Come and discover some of the essential leopard seal facts including leopard seal diet, reproduction, and physical features. The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) is regarded as the second largest species of seal all throughout Antarctic. The southern elephant seal is the largest specie among its family. These animals are also called sea leopards and are known to inhabit across the Antarctica coast and sub-Antarctic islands, with some species are also found on the southern coasts of Australia, South Africa, Lord Howe Island, Cook Islands, New Zealand, Tasmania, and South America. These animals can survive up to 26 years or more. The most common seal’s predators are sharks and orcas. The leopard seal belongs to the family of Phocidae.

Interesting Leopard Seal Facts

• The leopard seal exhibits pale grey color from the stomach while the back is pure black.
• The males are faintly larger as compared to females.
• The length of the leopard seals measure around 2.4 – 3.5 meters (8.4 – 11.7 feet).
• The leopard seal weighs around 200 – 600 kg (440 – 1,300 lb).
• The front teeth of leopard seal are sharp like carnivores.
• These types of seals inhabit in the cold waters encompassing Antarctica. The leopard seals primarily rely on pack ice in the summer months.
• These species are normally solitary creatures in that they only group together at the time of mating.
• The gestation period of leopard seal lasts for 9 months.
• The female gives birth to a single pup in summer.
• The leopard seal is one of the bold and curious creatures.
• The length of the canine teeth of these animals measure around 2.5 cm (1 inch).
• The closest relatives of leopard seals are crabeater seal, Weddell seal, and Ross seal.
• In general, leopard seals are considered to be highly aggressive species but they seldom attack on humans.

What Do Leopard Seals Eat

The leopard seal predominantly feed on smaller species like krill, squid, and small fish. These animals are also known to take on adelie, Gentoo, emperor, and king penguins, together with other species such as crabeater seal and other seals. The leopard seals living in the sub-Antarctic island in South Georgia often prey on Antarctic fur Seal; while other prey includes fish, Antarctic krill, southern elephant seal, and penguins.