The Leopard SealHydrurga leptonyx is a "true seal" belonging to the family Phocidae. It is the only species in its genus
The Leopard Seal is widely regarded as the most ferocious seal in the Antarctic. They feed on many other creatures, such as squid, King and EmperorPenguins, krill, ocean fish, and Weddell Seals. They have extraordinarily large mouths, and quite sharp teeth for catching prey. They kill some of their prey (primarily the penguins) by grabbing them by the feet, then beating them against the surface of the water repeatedly. They will often keep on doing this until the penguin is skinned. Since the leopard seal is not very fast, it relies also on krill for much of its diet.
The Leopard Seal, Hydrurga leptonyx is a member of the 'true seal' group, whose locomotion on land is best described as wriggling - a series of muscular body ripples with some assistance from the front flippers.
Winter, non-breeding population of Leopard sealHydrurga leptonyx is estimated to be at around 1,000 individuals.
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