Leopard Seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyPhocidae (Earless Seals)
- GenusHydrurga (Leopard Seals)
- SpeciesHydrurga leptonyx (Leopard Seal)
About the Leopard Seal
The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard, is a long and muscular seal native to the Southern Ocean of Antarctica and southern Patagonia. It is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). It is the same length as, but half the weight of, a walrus. Its fur coat is countershaded, being silver on the bottom and dark gray on the top, and is distinctive for its leopard-like pattern of dark spots.
The leopard seal is an apex predator, with massive jaws, and teeth which are 2.5 cm (1 in) long. It feeds on a wide range of prey including its fellow pinnipeds, cephalopods, krill, fish, and birds, particularly penguins. Its only natural predator is the orca. It uses its hearing and whiskers to track prey underwater.
It is the only species in the genus Hydrurga. Its closest relatives are the Ross seal, the crabeater seal, and the Weddell seal, which are all Antarctic seals of the tribe Lobodontini. Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville, a French zoologist, described the leopard seal in 1820 from a stuffed specimen from the collection of one M. Hauville, in Le Havre. The skin that produced... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Leopard Seal in Wilsons Promontory National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Wilsons Promontory National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 9 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |