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 Look
at the pictures. How cute! Seals are popular among children because
of their cute appearance. But do you know
that their features are as unique as
their looks? Let’s learn some interesting facts about seals together!
Seals are divided into two major families. One is earless seals, such
as harbor seals. The other family is eared seals, such
as fur seals and sea lions. Also, there are
many and various species of seals. Surprisingly,
there are 32 species of seals in the world!
Seals living in the Antarctic Ocean, such as Ross seals and leopard seals
are the largest species. They are about 4 m long and weigh from 500
kg to even 4 tons! How big! Some species of seals also live in the
Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic
Ocean. They are bearded seals, harbor seals and harp seals.
Interestingly, there are also seals that live in the tropics! They are monk seals.
 What class
of animal do seals belong to? They belong to
mammals! Even though they
spend lots of time in the water, they give birth to live young (not eggs) and
nurse them on shore. Many
of you may be curious how they can survive in extremely cold
areas. Don’t worry. They have a fur coat and a thick layer of blubber to protect
themselves from cold water and weather. What’s more, if you take a
close look at a seal’s face, you can find its whiskers. They play a very
important role in a seal’s life. It is because a seal detects prey, mainly fish and squid, by
using its whiskers!
Unfortunately, seals have long been hunted for their skins and meat.
Therefore, many species of seals are currently endangered. However,
today most kinds of seals are protected all over the world by international
laws and treaties. |
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