Knowra Leopard seal Leopard seal The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) is a large Antarctic seal with a spotted coat, powerful jaws, and a varied diet that includes penguins and other seals.
Leopard seal feeding behavior : The ways leopard seals capture, handle, and consume prey, including penguins, fish, krill, and other seals. Its varied feeding tactics explain how one predator exploits prey of very different sizes.
Antarctic marine food web : The network of feeding relationships among organisms in the Southern Ocean and around Antarctica. Leopard seals connect krill, fish, penguins, and other seals through predation.
Pinniped : A marine mammal in the group comprising seals, sea lions, and walruses. Leopard seals are true seals, a branch of the pinniped group.
Gentoo penguin : A penguin species of the Southern Hemisphere, recognizable by a white head stripe and orange-red bill. Gentoo penguins are among the prey leopard seals hunt around Antarctic shores.
Leopard seal vocalizations : Underwater calls produced by leopard seals, especially during the breeding season. Males use elaborate calls beneath the ice, linking sound to territorial and reproductive behavior.
Southern Ocean : The ocean surrounding Antarctica, defined by its circulation and connection to the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Its cold waters and seasonal sea ice form the leopard seal's principal habitat.
Phocidae : The family of true seals, which lack external ear flaps and move on land by wriggling. This family places leopard seals among seals rather than sea lions or walruses.
Crabeater seal : An Antarctic seal that feeds mainly on krill and is among the world's most abundant seal species. Leopard seals sometimes prey on crabeater seals, especially young individuals.
Leopard seal dentition : The specialized arrangement of teeth in leopard seals, including molars that filter krill from seawater. Their teeth support both gripping large prey and straining small crustaceans.
Sea ice : Frozen seawater that forms and melts seasonally or persists year-round at Earth's poles. Leopard seals use Antarctic sea ice for resting, breeding, and hunting near penguin colonies.
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