At any marine theme park, there are probably a cluster of seals and sea lions hanging out in their exhibits. Both animals have that chubby body and the same black eyes with large whiskers. For many, performing sea lions are the stars of the show even though many people routinely refer to the performances as “seal shows.” Even though most people are familiar with seals and sea lions, they don’t know how to distinguish between the two species. While both of these mammals share many abilities, these ‘second cousins’ are distinctly different from each other in many ways. Seals and sea lions have many anatomical differences and similarities. As mammals, Pinnipeds are warm-blooded, breathe air with lungs, have hair, bear live young, and females nurse their young, providing milk via their mammary glands. Looking at the exterior of the mammals, two first-sight identifiers set these two species apart. They are the flippers and ears. Seals have small, furry, “…thinly webbed flippers, actually, with a claw on each small toe” (National Ocean Service, What’s the difference) that are very weak so they flop on their bellies to move on land. They move like a caterpillar inching forward. When in the water, seals use their rear flippers to steer by moving them back and forth like a fish’s tail. Sea lions, on the other hand, have large fins for which all four are used to stand up and crawl with. They are more adapted for life on land. However when swimming, they use those strong flippers as paddles to propel their whole bodies in a streamline movement. Unlike seals, sea lion’s flippers are hairless and clawless. When it comes to ears, seals have a little hole in the side of their head while sea lions have outer flaps as ears. Another indicator o... ... middle of paper ... ...mfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/>. "Pinnipeds." The Marine Mammal Center :. N.p., 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. . "Seals and Sea Lions Are Marine Mammals Called 'pinnipeds' That Differ in Physical Characteristics and Adaptations." What's the Difference between Seals and Sea Lions? National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. . Snyderman, Marty. "Pinnipeds, Unplugged." Dive Training. Dive Training, n.d. Web. 26 May 2014. . Toothman, Jessika. "Whatu0027s the difference between a seal and a sea lion?" 14 July 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. 30 April 2014.
The picture above shows the vast difference that there can be in animals, to the right is Emerita Analoga (sand crab), and to the left is Zalophus Californianus (California Sea Lion). The sand crab is an invertebrate while the seal is a vertebrate and mammal. Invertebrates make up 90% of all an...
Killer whales are one of the most fascinating displays of ocean life. The killer whale has characteristics that are important to its survival in the ocean. It is interesting to know that killer whales have a plentiful diet. It is astounding to see how killer whales behave in the ocean. I plan to tell you about the killer whale, its characteristics, its diet, and its behavior in the ocean as well as the predation of the orca.
A Bottle-nosed dolphin skeletal system is believed to be originated from the basic mammalian skeleton, but has gone through a number of changes. Firstly the forelimbs have been modified into flippers and the bones of the hind limbs have disappeared altogether. Such bones as the rib cage and the spin have also undergone transformation in the fact that they have cured and caved-in due to water pressure. These creatures hold their breath for about 15 minutes before having to submerge for air. The Bottle-nosed dolphin is an amazingly strong creature. Because it never stops swimming, the Bottle-nosed dolphin has a very powerful tail, which is capable of supporting its weight of about 400 kg.
In this research report I will discuss the Killer Whales unique characteristics; complex migratory patterns, how and why it is endangered, and most importantly how we can help them.
- Pagano, A. M., G. M. Durner, S. C. Amstrup, K. S. Simac, and G. S. York. 2012. Long-distance swimming by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea during years of extensive open water: Canadian Journal of Zoology 90:663-676. doi: 10.1139/z2012-033http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/z2012-033#.UxOE1ZWPLoo
After watching several documentaries on how poorly killer whales are treated in captivity, it drew me into researching more information on the treatment of Killer whales that are kept in captivity. I found several scientific journals, and articles on wild life facts of killer whales and I found published books on the treatment of killer whales in captivity. The information I found includes both wild killer whales and killer whales kept in captivity. With the information I found, I plan to prove the shortened lifespan and health problems killer whales get while living in captivity are not normal. In fact the information you learned about killer whales from aquariums and commercial parks are false. This paper will argue why killer whales should not be held captive in commercial parks. This Paper will include information on the killer whale’s diet, the killer whale’s communication, and the killer whale’s physical traits.
When an orca pup is taken away from the ocean and away from its supporting family and sent to a small chlorinated pool with strangers it can cause many potential health hazards for them. The most noticeable health related problem is whale on whale aggression. Hardly any of the killer whales in captivity are related by blood, therefore, most of them are all strangers and will fight or even kill e...
The latest animal rights issue to hit the public is a whale of a controversy. For decades, the public has enjoyed visiting SeaWorld and taking in mesmerizing displays of aquatic performance by orcas, the largest species of dolphins, and their trainers. Recent events have stirred up a media uproar over the safety of these creatures and their trainers. Much of what the public knows about the maltreatment of these creatures comes from a documentary released in 2013 called “Blackfish”. The breeding and captivity of killer whales for entertainment purposes poses a threat not only to the whales, but also the trainers who interact with them.
Sharks have several ways to dispatch their prey with surprise attacks, agility, and camouflaged sneak attacks. The shark’s dentition also tells the story of their diet as well as their method of attack. The Great White Shark, (Carcharodon carcharias), is the largest extant predatory shark on Earth and has large serrated teeth that tear through the flesh of its prey. Their teeth are 2.5-3 inches in height and have prominent serrations which allow them to tear large chunks out of prey including large fish, seals, sea lions, other sharks, carrion, dolphins, elephant seals, stingrays, and fish [8], [13]. These sharks hunt by swimming below the intended prey item and with a sudden burst of speed; they will attack with a large single bite and then swim off to allow the prey to bleed to death. These sharks are famous for breaching the water to grab seals and sea lions around the coast of South Africa in an area called Seal Island [7]. When the seals swim farther off from the island where the water is much deeper, the shark’s rate of a successful attack increase compared to the lowered success rate in shallower waters where the seals can easily outmaneuver them [7]. The bite force of the Great White measures around 4,000 pounds and is able to bite prey in half [10]. Great Whites
In the Gulf of St. Lawrence yearly they open a hunt for the seal hunters to allow them to preform there duties to destroy the cultural wildlife of the sea in the Maritimes. During this time of season you can see many different vessels of many sizes travelling through the ice searching for their prey. Usually they are known as commercial seal hunters. Harp and hooded seals are the majority of prey. When they reach the seals, they continue their job by shooting any seal in sight, young, old, or even seals carrying infant seals. It is a very difficult situation to imagine when the helpless animals flee from their hunters. Seals do escape and can continue on, but the ones who are shot and are hurt usually just slip under the radar and eventually suffer and die. The hunters use hakapiks to kill the injured seals at close range, it is a big wooden club with an ice pick at the end for dragging purposes. They also club immobile injured seals. After the seal is killed, the captors then take their hakapik pick and put it into the seals back to carry it aboard their vessels. It is then the seal is skinned, sometimes while alive. Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans isn’t large enough to do ...
In this report I will be using the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) as my chosen species. The Polar bear is the largest land living apex carnivore in the world where males can reach a mass of over 450 Kg and females between 150 Kg to 350 Kg. Instantly recognizable by their white fur coat which is technically transparent where it is the reflection of the snow that gives the Polar bear its beautiful white coat. As a Polar bear’s skin is black allowing for some heat from sunlight to aid in respiration. They are located all around the Arctic Circle. From Canada to Greenland to Russia, their range is vast due to the travelling they must endure to reach plentiful sources of food which is primarily seals however they have been known to hunt walrus and beluga whales.
Aristotle once wrote, “The voice of the dolphin in the air is like that of the human in that they can pronounce vowels and combinations of vowels, but have difficulties with the constants.” The dolphin is one amazing creature. Dolphins, whales and porpoises are all related. I am going to talk about all aspects off the dolphin from evolution and vocalization to behavior and intelligence.
Whales are notable for being mammals which are fully adapted to oceanic life. These are three groups of Whales in their phylogenetic tree; Archaeocetes, Mysticeti and Odontoceti. The first group are known from their fossils and are seen to be a transitionary form as they retained a number of features associated with land mammals e.g. hind limbs with feet and limbs. The two other groups diverged around the start of the Oligocene; when the ice caps started to grow in the poles of the earth. It has been suggested that this may be due to the rise of seasonal planktonic production which could have led to specialisation (Houben, 2013); this ties in nicely with other summarisations which link the diversions of Whales in this time period. Mysticeti and Odontoceti differ on two counts; Mysticeti possess baleen making them filter feeders of plankton, in comparison Odontoceti possess a single set of teeth and have the ability to echolocate.
The Orca is irrefutably one of the most fascinating animals in the ocean. Killer whales, or Orca, are aquatic mammals which live in almost every ocean on Earth. Their black and white color pattern makes them one of the most easily recognized animals on Earth, and their intelligence and strength makes them apex predators. Though the killer whale sounds like an aggressive animal, Orcas are very social and are very sensible in what they kill.
Did you know in the world there are more than 90 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises? (WDC) The dolphin is a very important animal to the ocean and there are many different types to discover. In order to learn about dolphins, it is important to discuss where they live, their appearance, and what they eat. Some helpful words to understand are “dorsal fin”, a dorsal fin is the top pointed fin on the dolphins back, “flippers”, a flipper is a flat fin that dolphins use to swim, and “echolocation” is a tool dolphins use to find food by sounds bouncing off of objects (dictionary.com).