#phocidae

[sealsdaily]

Today's Seals Are: Sailing The High Seas

[snototter]

A leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) emerges from the kelp on Bird Island, South Georgia

by Derren Fox

[mammalianmammals]

Ribbon Seal (Histriophoca fasciata), family Phocidae, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska

photograph by Josh London

[theodorenussphotography]

More of the Strawberry Hill seals

[hazy2k]

art class reference

[birdblues]

Bearded Seal

[marinebiology1]

Weddell Seal pup

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Lake Baikal seals dive extremely deep to find food, reaching depths of over 400m (1300 ft). To give themselves a boost of oxygen and keep themselves warm, they have an extra 2 litres (0.5 gal) of blood circulating through their bodies!

(Image: A group of lounging Baikal seals (Pusa sibirica) by Sergio Tittarini)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

[terranlifeform]

Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) in Antarctica

Ted Smith

[podartists]

The Seal (Phoca vitulina) | Animal portraiture (1912) | Biodiversity Heritage Library | Flickr | Public domain

[animalids]

Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi)

Photo by Marlin Harms

[sealsdaily]

Today's Seal Is: Vandalized

[snototter]

A leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) amongst the seaweed on Moto Ihupuku, Aotearoa

by Russell Scott

[sealzandsuckystuff]

boy this alcho

SORRY FOR INACTIVITY IT WAS NT BIRTHDAY LAST WEEK ABD I WAS REALLT BUSY anyways ermmmh alt sona

[unofficial-sean]

I just learned about the Caspian Seal and I was perplexed. Like the Baikal Seal, it is landlocked, and makes you wonder "how did they get there?"

Well, I did some light research and here's what I discovered! The earliest distinct pinniped fossil dates back to the Oligocene epoch, about 33-23 million years ago. At this stage in Earth's natural history, what we now call the Mediterranean Sea was far more expansive.

 In the image, you can see the outline of the Caspian Sea. It stands to reason that early pinnipeds occupying this area became closed in over time. Not too complicated, but still interesting!

 I wonder how these seals are faring, considering the poor state of the Caspian Sea these days.

 I heard somewhere that pinnipeds were more closely related to ursinids than canids, but did you know that their closest relatives are actually mustelids? fascinating.

[anirobot]

WWF Wildlive  –  Baltic ringed seal