Iinteresting Facts about Elephant Seals
There are two species of elephant seals i.e. Southern Elephant Seal and Northern Elephant Seal. Southern elephant seals are the largest of all seals. Males of the species can reach over 20 feet in length and weigh up to 4000 kg (8800 pounds). They can hold their breath longer than any other non-cetacean mammal. This allows them to stay under-water for over 2 hours. The reason for this is that they have a very large volume of blood which allows them to hold a large amount of oxygen. Female elephant seals can give birth when they are 4 to 5 years of age. Freshwater fish have decreased their lifespan as it contains mercury which causes many deaths. Females have a life expectancy of 23 years while life expectancy of males is about 20 years. They are also sometimes called sea elephants. They aren't called elephant seals because of their huge size instead they get their name from their trunklike inflatable snouts. Southern sea elephants can dive over 4,921 feet (1,500 meters) deep. Female elephant seals are quite smaller than males. Females give birth to 1 pup after gestation period of about 11 months. |
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