Janey Levy - The Beastly Elephant Seal

CONTENTS W ords in the glossary appear in bold type the first time they are used in the text.

Excellent ELEPHANT SEALS Seals are amazing ocean .

Excellent ELEPHANT SEALS Seals are amazing ocean .

You mightve seen them at the zoo or the beach. Perhaps, like other people, youve enjoyed seeing their cute, sweet faces and watching them swim in circles. But have you ever seen an elephant seal? Elephant seals got their name because of their huge size and a feature on the male seals face. The males face isnt cute and sweet. Instead, its an unusual face with a large, , trunk-like nose. Inside this book, youll learn more about this surprising-looking animal.

Strange But True! Males start to grow their large, trunk-like nose when theyre 3 to 5 years old. Its completely formed by the time theyre 7 to 9 years old. ELEPHANT SEALS ARE ALSO KNOWN AS SEA ELEPHANTS.

ABOUT THAT SNOUT The male elephant seals nose, which is also called a snout or proboscis (proh-BAH-suhs), is pretty . So, why do they have it? What purpose does it serve? Scientists believe males fill their nose with air to make their calls much louder. This is important when they come onto land to find .

Only the strongest male elephant seals get to mate. Their loud calls help establish whos most powerful. Male seals use them to warn weaker male seals away and when they fight each other. STRANGE BUT TRUE! Humans might think the male elephant seals inflatable nose makes him . But in his world, his nose can help him win lots of mates! BY INFLATING HIS NOSE, THE MALE ELEPHANT SEAL CAN CREATE CALLS THAT CAN BE HEARD MILES AWAY!

MATING AND MOLTING Did you know elephant seals only come onto land twice a year? Mating season is one of those times. Male seals arrive first and begin fighting.

Female seals arrive next and have their babies, called pups. Then the mating season begins, with more fighting among males. Unluckily, pups, who are still drinking milk from their mothers, are often in danger of being squashed by fighting males! These ocean mammals also come onto land to molt, or lose their fur. They lose their outer of old skin, too! STRANGE BUT TRUE! Female elephant seals return to the ocean after about a month, leaving their pups b ehind. The pups then spend around 2 months practicing how to swim and hunt for food on their own.

ELEPHANT SEALS AT SEA Elephant seals live their life in the ocean, far from land, except for brief periods.

ELEPHANT SEALS AT SEA Elephant seals live their life in the ocean, far from land, except for brief periods.

They spend around 9 months of the year in the oceanbut you probably wont spy one in the water. Why is that? Elephant seals eat creatures that live deep in the ocean, so they spend a lot of their time diving for food. The seals may spend up to 90 percent of their time under the water, where you cant see them. STRANGE BUT TRUE! During the months elephant seals are in the ocean, they may be up to about 5,000 miles (8,000 km) from land. ELEPHANT SEALS USUALLY SPEND JUST A FEW MINUTES AT THE SURFACE OF THE WATER BETWEEN DIVES FOR FOOD.

WHERE ELEPHANT SEALS SWIM Would you be surprised to learn two species, or kinds, of elephant seals exist? Northern elephant seals live in the North Pacific Ocean along North Americas western coast.

Theyre found from the Gulf of Alaska down to Baja California, a part of Mexico. Southern elephant seals live near the bottom of Earth in the terribly cold waters around Antarctica. Southern elephant seals are larger than northern elephant seals, though both species are huge. And, both species have bodies suited to their ocean lives. STRANGE BUT TRUE! You know a walrus is quite large, right? Well, the male southern elephant seal is bigger than a walrus.

MALE SEALS VS.

MALE SEALS VS.

FEMALE SEALS All elephant seals have a body suited for swimming in cold ocean waters. Their and smooth shape, which is larger in the middle, help them move easily through water. Their thick layer of blubber, or fat, keeps them warm in cold waters. But big differences exist between male and female seals. Males have the large, inflatable, trunk-like nose. Female elephant seals have a noseand facethat looks much like other seals.

And males are much larger than females. Males weigh at least two or three times more than females! STRANGE BUT TRUE! Male southern elephant seals can be up to 20 feet (6 m) long and weigh about 7,940 pounds (3,600 kg). Theyre about as long as a pickup truck, and they also can weigh more than that same truck! MALE ELEPHANT SEALS ALSO GROW A CHEST SHIELD AS THEY AGE. THIS PINK-ISH LAYER OF SKIN PROTECTS THEM WHILE FIGHTING.

DEEP DIVERS Elephant seals dive deep in the ocean to hunt for food. They eat squid and large fish, such as sharks.

Diving deep helps keep them safe from great white sharks and killer whales. Both of these predators attack by charging up at the seals from below. Elephant seal dives are truly special. The creatures can dive about 1 mile (1.6 km) deep and hold their breath for 2 hours! These seals are able to hold their breath for long periods of time because of some unusual . STRANGE BUT TRUE! If youre lucky enough to see a male elephant seal surface, the size of their head could measure more than 3 feet (1 m) above the waters surface!