AnimalsWIKI
Animals /
Mammals Living

Weddell Seal

Leptonychotes weddellii

The Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica. The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British sealing captain James Weddell to the area of the Southern Ocean now known as the Weddell Sea.

Weddell Seal
Photo: This illustration was made by Samuel Blanc. If you plan on using it, an email to samuel @ sblanc.com would be greatly appreciated. · CC BY-SA 3.0

Overview

The Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica. The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British sealing captain James Weddell to the area of the Southern Ocean now known as the Weddell Sea. The life history of this species is well documented since it occupies fast ice environments close to the Antarctic continent and often adjacent to Antarctic bases. It is the only species in the genus Leptonychotes.

Habitat & distribution

Habitats

Marine

Video

A Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) resting on pack ice.Credit: This illustration is part of Matthieu Weber's travels. If you see a media on his website that you're eager to see on Wikimedia Commons, send an e-mail to the author, he will upload it if possible. · Public domainSource ↗

Sounds

A verified sound recording has not been linked yet. Auto Sync will keep checking xeno-canto and Wikimedia Commons.

References

  1. GBIF Auto Sync GBIF
  2. WoRMS / Aphia World Register of Marine Species
  3. Wikipedia — Weddell seal Wikipedia

Comments

No published comments yet.

Related animals

AAfrican Bush ElephantLoxodonta africanaTTigerPanthera tigrisLLionPanthera leoGGiant PandaAiluropoda melanoleuca