Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/05/2009 - 05:00
Forums
Oden Antarctic Expedition 08

hi mr. peneston!

this is nicole bergamo from your block 1 a/c class.

I was just looking at the wounded crabeater seal and i was wondering how big are the leopard seals usually?

those wounds were pretty big so their claws must be big.

isn't there a leopard seal in Happy Feet?

Thanks!!!!

Nicole 

 

Tue, 01/06/2009 - 10:13

Jeff Peneston

Nicole,
The parallel cuts that you see in the photo of the crabeater seal are about 8 inches long, 1.5 inches deep and 4 inches apart.  That 4 inches shows you how far apart the 2 canine teeth of the leopard seal are.  If you look at four teeth in the front of your upper jaw and then find the pointed tooth on each side of those four incisors, you have found your canine teeth.  The same teeth in the mouth of a leopard seal made the slices in the crabeater seal.   The leopard seal’s mouth and teeth are just about the same size as a polar bear’s and it can open its mouth over 1 foot wide.   Leopard seals can be 1000 pounds and 9 feet long.  The one I saw last evening appeared to be about that big.  
 Thanks for the question,
Jeff Peneston