Animal You | Leopard Seal | The leopard seal is large and muscular, with dark gray back and light gray on the belly. Females are slightly larger than males. The leopard seal lives in the cold waters around Antarctica. In winter, you go to the north of the sub-Antarctic islands. The leopard seal is a solitary creature and meets in small groups only when it is time to mate. Leopard seals are not very talkative, even if occasionally a little 'grunting and growling noises. The leopard seal is bold, powerful and curious. Paul Nicklen, a National Geographic photographer shooting a leopard seal bring live penguins wounded and killed him perhaps in an attempt to photographer, to learn how to hunt.
The leopard seal is second only to the orca (killer whales) in the Antarctic predator. His teeth are 2.5 cm (1 inch). Smaller seals probably eat mostly krill, but also squid and fish. Large leopard seals probably switch from krill to more substantial prey, including king Adelie, Rockhopper, Gentoo and emperor penguins, and, less frequently, other seals such Crabeater seal. Around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) is the main prey. Other prey includes penguins and fish. Krill (Euphausia superba), elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) pups and penguins and other seabirds leopard seals found droppings in small quantities.
When hunting penguins, the leopard seal patrols the waters near the edges of the ice, almost completely under water, waiting for the birds to reach the ocean. It kills the bird swimming grabbed his feet, shaking the penguin vigorously and repeatedly hit his body against the surface of the water, until the penguin is dead. Previous reports detailing the leopard skins its prey before feeding false. The lack of teeth needed to be prey to cut into manageable pieces, waving his prey from left to right to rip and tear into smaller pieces.
The leopard seal Phocidae classified in the family. Its closest relatives are the Ross seal, Crabeater seals and Weddell, which are collectively known as the seals lobodontine. The leopard seal has many features similar to other species. The share of leopard seals have homologous with its close relative, the seals lobodontine.
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