Imitating Mating Elephant Seals and their sounds funny comedy drama violence romance death murder (note the birds pecking for food at the carcasses of the dead baby seals – killed by a charging bull??)
The Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the Southern Elephant Seal). It is a member of the Phocidae (“true seals”) family. Elephant seals derive their name from their great size and from the male’s large proboscis, which is used in making extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating competition. There is a great sexual dimorphism in size. The males average 14 ft (4 m) and 5,000 lb (2,300 kg), while the females average 11 ft (3 m) and 1,400 lb (640 kg). Correspondingly, there is a highly polygynous mating system, with a successful male able to impregnate up to 50 females in one season. (Cool!)
Description
Both adult and juvenile elephant seals are bare-skinned and black before molting. After molting they generally have a silver to dark gray coat that fades to brown yellow and tan. Adult males have hairless necks and chests speckled with pink, white and light brown. Pups are mostly black at birth and molt to a silver gray after weaning.
The eyes are large, round and black. The width of the eyes and a high concentration of low light pigments suggests that sight plays an important role in the capture of prey. Like all seals, elephant seals have atrophied hind limbs whose underdeveloped ends form the tail and tail fin. Each of the “feet” can deploy five long webbed fingers. This agile, dual palm is used to propel water. The pectoral fins are used little while swimming. While the hind limbs are unfit for locomotion on land, elephant seals use their fins as support to propel their bodies. They are able to propel themselves quickly (as fast as 8km/h) in this way for short-distance travel, to return to water, catch up with a female or chase an intruder.
Like other seals, elephant seals have a bloodstream adapted to the cold in which a mixture of small veins surround arteries capturing heat from them. This structure is present in extremeties such as the hind legs.
Range and habitat
The Northern Elephant Seal lives in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, migrating as far north as Alaska, British Columbia, and as far south as the shores of California and Baja California, where they come ashore to breed, give birth and molt, mostly on offshore islands. While the pelagic range covers an enormous span, there are only about seven principal breeding areas, four of which are on islands off the coast of California. Recently increasing numbers have been observed in the Gulf of California. Colonies can be observed at Año Nuevo State Reserve, Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, and Morro Bay State Park.
Feeding and behavior
The Northern Elephant Seal feeds on a wide range of over 30 fish and cephalopods, including squid, octopus, hagfish, ratfish and small sharks. They are nocturnal deep pelagic feeders famous for the long time intervals they remain underwater (Morejohn, 1970). This species dives to great depths while feeding, typically between 300 m (1,000 ft) and 800 m (2,600 ft), and males can dive as deep as 1,500 m (4,900 ft); moreover, the Northern elephant seal will generally not feed in depths of less than 200 m (700 ft) (Condit, 1984). Average dive times are correspondingly long, around 20 minutes for males, less for females, and they require about three minutes on the surface between dives. The deepest dive records are held by female elephant seals and is currently at 1603 meters (nearly a mile) with a time of 119 minutes. Typically this species is observed singly in its pelagic environment, although on land there may be thousands in almost tangent harems. Northern elephant seals, especially juveniles, are preyed on by great white sharks and sometimes also by orcas (killer whales). While at sea from late spring to early winter, the Northern elephant seal stores vast amounts of food as blubber and also water oxidatively produced in fat stores to prepare for his long fast on land (Ortiz, 1978).
In the summer, elephant seals undergo a “catastrophic moult” that lasts about one month, during which they lose much of their fur and skin. They spend this time on beaches to preserve body heat while they wait for the new fur to grow. During this time, elephant seals can be observed at a number of preserves on the California coastline, such as the Año Nuevo State Park and the Point Reyes National Seashore. Observers must have a permit and be very cautious because over short distances bulls can move faster on land than a person can run, despite their ungainly appearance. Elephant seals have no interest in attacking humans but are oblivious to objects blocking attacks on rival males.
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One of the most beautiful songs i ever heard,just beautiful and from the the heart!!
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