Scientific name: Hydrurga leptonyx
1) Fierce as a leopard
Leopard seals are named after their spotty coats and for their reputation of being fearsome hunters. It is one of the top predators in Antarctic waters, filling the niche that polar bears hold in the Arctic.
Leopard seals have a spotted coat
2) Predator and prey
It is the only pinniped that feeds extensively upon warm-blooded animals. They, in turn, are sometimes preyed upon by orcas (killer whales), another warm-blooded animal.
3) The unique dentition of a leopard seal
The unique dentition of the leopard seal allows them to have a surprisingly varied diet.
Their front canines and incisors are designed to capture and tear prey like other seals (crabeater seals and Antarctic fur seal pups), seabirds, and penguins (mostly Adélie penguins). Their back molars present interlocking cusps to strain krill (a shrimp-like crustacean) out of seawater. Although leopard seals are powerful predators, tiny krill actually make up the majority of their diet.
Dentition of a leopard seal
Other food items include cephalopods, fish and squid and they are known to scavenge upon dead whales and other seals.
4) Graceful swimmers
Unlike other “true” seals (the phocid family) that swim by moving their hind limbs from side to side, leopard seals swim gracefully using powerful, long, and simultaneous strokes of the forelimbs in a manner similar to the “eared” seals (otariids) like sea lions.
Viewing leopard seals in Antarctica
If you enjoyed our four leopard seal facts you may also like:
Zoologist and amateur wildlife photographer. She has worked in the field with jackals, wolves, cheetahs & leopards. Due to her habit of dissecting every poo she finds on the trail, her friends refer to her as a poo-logist. Her travel memoir Dual Nature about traveling around Africa with a stranger will be published in 2013.
