All About Nature: Animals to Paint Online

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Seals (Order Carnivora) are marine mammals who live mostly in the water but spend some time on land or ice (usually to reproduce or rest). Seals include the true seals and the eared seals. These pinnipeds are found in polar, sub-polar and temperate waters. There are two families of seals, including:

• Family Phocidae (true seals, with no visible ear flaps)
  • Subfamily Phocinae (Northern Seals): Hooded Seal, Bearded Seal, Gray Seal, Caspian Seal, Ribbon Seal, Harp Seal, Ringed Seal, Spotted Seal, Baikal Seal, Harbor Seal
  • Subfamily Monachinae (Monk, Elephant, and Antarctic Seals): Leopard Seal, Weddell Seal, Crabeater Seal, Northern Elephant Seal, Southern Elephant Seal, Mediterranean Monk Seal, Caribbean Monk Seal, Ross Seal, Hawaiian Monk Seal.
• Family Otariidae (eared seals)
  • Subfamily Otariinae (Sea Lions): Steller Sea Lion, Australian Sea Lion, South American Sea Lion, New Zealand Sea Lion, California Sea Lion, Galápagos Sea Lion, Japanese Sea Lion
  • Subfamily Arctocephalinae (Fur Seals): South American Fur Seal, New Zealand Fur Seal, Galápagos Fur Seal, Antarctic Fur Seal, Juan Fernández Fur Seal, Guadalupe Fur Seal, Subantarctic Fur Seal, Northern Fur Seal, South African Fur Seal, Australian Fur Seal

Seals have a thick layer of insulating blubber that keeps them warm in cold water. They also have more blood (per weight) than most other mammals, keeping them well-supplied with oxygen during long underwater dives. This allows these carnivores (meat-eaters) to hunt for their oceanic prey. Their diet includes fish, crustaceans, birds, and krill. Some seals, like the leopard seal and Steller sea lion, even eat other seals. Seal are hunted by polar bears, killer whales, sharks, and man.

Seal Printouts:

California Sea Lion California sea lions are eared seals that live off the coast of western North America. (Family Otariidae, Subfamily Otariinae)

Harbor Seal Harbor Seals live in the ocean but breathe air. They are marine mammals. (Family Phocidae, Subfamily Phocinae)

Harp Seal Harp Seals are marine mammals that live in the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. (Family Phocidae, Subfamily Phocinae)

Elephant Seal, Northern The Northern Elephant Seal is a huge seal that lives in the northern Pacific Ocean. (Family Phocidae, Subfamily Monachinae)

Weddell Seal The Weddell seal is a large, nocturnal pinniped from Antarctica. (Family Phocidae, Subfamily Monachinae)

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