Northern Elephant Seal [Mirounga angustirostris]
Description
The Northern Elephant Seal is one of the two species of elephant seals. It is a member of the family Phocidae (true seals). It gets its common name from the large proboscis of the adult males (bulls), which resembles an elephant's trunk. Adult males can reach lengths of up to 14 feet and weights of up to 5,000 pounds. Females are much smaller, usually measuring less than 10 feet in length and weighing less than 2,000 pounds. They inhabit the northern Pacific Ocean, from Baja California in Mexico to the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands. They spend most of their life at sea, returning to land only for breeding, birthing, and molting.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Mammals
Mammalia
|
| Order |
Carnivorans
Carnivora
|
| Family |
Earless Seals
Phocidae
|
| Genus |
Elephant Seals
Mirounga
|