Earless seals
Earless seals, or true seals, are one of three families to belong to the seal superfamily. Members of the phocidae include the grey seal, common seal and the massive southern elephant seal. With a few exceptions, seals in this family are usually found in polar, sub-polar and temperate waters. The lack of external ears means they have very streamlined bodies.
Genus
Halichoerus
Grey seal (species)Hydrurga
Leopard seal (species)Leptonychotes
Weddell seal (species)Lobodon
Crabeater seal (species)Mirounga
Southern Elephant Seal (species)Pusa
Baikal seal (species)
About
The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. All true seals are members of the family Phocidae (pronounced /ˈfoʊsədiː/). They are sometimes called crawling seals to distinguish them from the fur seals and sea lions of the family Otariidae. Seals live in the oceans of both hemispheres and are mostly confined to polar, sub-polar, and temperate climates, with the exception of the more tropical monk seals.
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Scientific Classification
Family: Earless seal (Phocidae)
Other Carnivora
- Ailuridae (species: Red panda)
- Bears (Ursidae)
- Cats (Felidae)
- Dogs (Canidae)
- Fur seals and sealions (Otariidae)
- Herpestidae (species: Meerkat)
- Raccoons, coatis and allies (Procyonidae)
- Weasels, badgers and allies (Mustelidae)
Elsewhere on the web
- Erignathus barbatus (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu)
- Encyclopedia of Life: Phocidae (eol.org)
- Earless seal (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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