Sea Leopard

The sea leopard is considered one of the most powerful, fierce and dangerous Arctic predators. It belongs to the seal family. The sea leopard inhabits the Southern Ocean, up to the boundary of the drifting ice, and in all the Arctic seas.

The bloodthirsty sea predator does not like, like other seals, ice rookeries, preferring huge companies to proud solitude. That is why, at first glance, it may seem that there are not so many individuals of this seal species. But in fact, these predators are more than half a million.

The leopard seal is very different from all other species of seals: its long serpentine body looks more elegant than its counterparts, and practically does not have a thick fat layer. The presence of two rows of powerful sharp teeth and fangs in the jaws of the predator makes it clear that this animal feeds mainly on meat.

On the strength and power also says its enormous weight and body length. And females are much larger than males. For comparison: if an adult male with a three-meter length can "pull" by 280 kilograms, then the female reaches four meters in length and weighs more than four centners!

Head sea leopards have a little flattened, dark gray color, with a lot of dark spots. The same color in predators of the back and sides. But the belly strikes with its sharp whiteness. Apparently, the spotting of the color of the seal and, perhaps, its ferocity and nudged people to think of it as a leopard.

Prefering loneliness , the sea leopard only in a short period of mating unites in schools. And these groups do not exceed 5 or 6 individuals. Usually the "honeymoon" of leopard weddings falls out for the summer. But these days, dedicated to "love", the ferocious seal stays true to itself, because the process of fertilization of females without marriage games and courtship is taking place, right in the water.

The female carries the future offspring eleven months, gives birth to a thirty-kilogram cub usually at the beginning of summer, right on the ice. By the way, the mother of the leopard seal does not differ in excess of tenderness towards her one and a half meter baby: she feeds the baby with her milk for only a month, and then leaves it to the mercy of fate.

And so, since the month of age, the leopard kid is forced to independently procure food in the water. However, the death of young animals is almost not observed, so these predators are strong and invincible, even very young cubs.

The female can mate for the first time already at the age of three. Male, in order to feel the "masculine principle", it takes a little more time - 4 years. The marine leopard also lives on an average of a quarter of a century.

The main diet of the marine predator is crustaceans, fish and cephalopods. But woe to a youngster who has lost a nest or seal elephant! Leopard, sometimes allowing himself to lie down side by side with adult individuals of pinniped neighbors, and will not think to spare their baby: friendship is friendship, and the eating regime is not very desirable to break ...

Of course, sometimes a predator gets to eat and birds. But most of all from the evil killer suffer penguins: as you know, they can not fly.

By the way, regarding taste preferences of the sea leopard. Some individuals choose for themselves exclusively a penguin diet, while others prefer a young seal.

But the most terrible thing is that a person can become a delicious dinner for this marine beast. It is particularly dangerous to stay close to the ice edge. The leopard can jump out of the water unexpectedly and grab the lost prey. If the victim can escape from the tenacious teeth, then the predator pursues it on the ice.

In water, the leopard feels like a fish: for half an hour it can be under it, and during the race it develops a speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour, diving to a depth of three hundred meters.