The Weddell Seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), a "true seal", is named after Sir James Weddell, commander of British sealing expeditions in the Weddell Sea. They occur in large numbers and inhabit the circumpolar region of the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica. It is estimated that there are currently 500,000 to one million or more of these animals today. They can regularly be seen in the many seasonally ice-free islands along the Antarctic Peninsula. These pinnipeds are not thought to migrate, and any local movements are usually the result of changes in ice conditions. The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive. ... Scientific classification - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria Acoelomorpha Orthonectida Rhombozoa ?Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia    Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Families Canidae Felidae Herpestidae Hyaenidae Mephitidae Mustelidae Nandiniidae Odobenidae Pinnipedia Procyonidae Ursidae Viverridae The diverse order Carnivora includes over 260 placental mammals. ... subfamilies Otariidae Phocidae Odobenidae Pinnipeds are large marine mammals belonging to the Pinnipedia, a family (sometimes a suborder or superfamily, depending on the classification scheme) of the order Carnivora. ... Genera Monachus (Monk Seals) Mirounga (Elephant Seal) Lobodon (Crabeater Seals) Leptonychotes Hydrurga (Leopard Seals) Ommatophoca Erignathus (Bearded Seals) Phoca Halichoerus (Gray Seals) Cystophora (Hooded Seals) The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... A lesson is a structured period of time where learning occurs. ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Genera Monachus (Monk Seals) Mirounga (Elephant Seal) Lobodon (Crabeater Seals) Leptonychotes Hydrurga (Leopard Seals) Ommatophoca Erignathus (Bearded Seals) Phoca Halichoerus (Gray Seals) Cystophora (Hooded Seals) The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. ... James Weddell (August 24, 1787 - September 9, 1834) was an English navigator, sealer, and explorer of the antarctic. ... The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean. ... The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earths surface that is south of the equator. ... Booth Island and Mount Scott flank the narrow Lemaire Channel on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. ... subfamilies Otariidae Phocidae Odobenidae Pinnipeds are large marine mammals belonging to the Pinnipedia, a family (sometimes a suborder or superfamily, depending on the classification scheme) of the order Carnivora. ...

Behavior and Ecology

Weddell Seals are known for their very deep dives -- which may reach some 700 meters. They can also hold their breath for approximately 80 minutes. Such deep dives involve foraging sessions, as well as searching for cracks in the ice sheets that can lead to new breathing holes.

Depending on the latitude they inhabit, these marine mammals give birth from early September through November, where lower latitude means earlier pupping. They are not very social out of water, even avoiding physical contact at most times. It is of no surprise, then, that copulation has been observed occurring only underwater, where the female is often times bitten in the neck by her partner. Young Weddell Seals have gray pelage for the first 3 to 4 weeks, after which time, they turn to a darker color. Play fighting is very common for these animals as they grow. The pups reach maturity at 3 years of age. Latitude, denoted φ, gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the Equator. ... A marine mammal is a mammal that is primarily ocean-dwelling or depends on the ocean for its food. ... A pair of lions having sexual intercourse in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. ... In mammals, pelage is the hair, fur, or wool that covers the animal. ...

Prey and Predators

The diet of the Weddell Seal consists of squids, notothenid fishes, as well as Antarctic toothfish up to 54 kilograms in weight. The Weddell Seal's predators include Killer Whales and Leopard Seals. These animals are also killed by man to supply the dog food market. Suborders Myopsina Oegopsina Squids are the large, diverse group of marine mollusks, popular as food in cuisines as widely separated as the Japanese and the Italian. ... Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The orca (Orcinus orca), commonly known as the killer whale, and sometimes called the grampus, is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. ... Binomial name Hydrurga leptonyx (Blainville, 1820) The Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx is a true seal belonging to the family Phocidae. ...

Due to the high number of parasite infections, the remains of these animals are commonly used for studying parasite and worm infestations. Weddell Seals regularly expunge their parasites by means of regurgitation. A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. ... A worm is an elongated soft-bodied invertebrate animal. ...

Protection

The Weddell Seal is protected by the Antarctic Treaty and the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals. For the Antarctic Treaty from the Gundam anime, see Antarctic Treaty (Gundam) The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate the international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earths only uninhabited continent. ... The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. ...

References

1. OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/species/tsn/180669)
2. ADW: Leptonychotes weddellii (http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Leptonychotes_weddellii.html)