Northern Elephant Seal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Seals and Sea Lions · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Elephant seals got their name for two reasons: their enormous size and the big, trunk-like nose of the males.
2. A big male usually weighs 1,500 to 2,300 kg. Females are much smaller, roughly a third of a male's bulk.
3. Down in the dark deep sea, its whiskers sense tiny movements in the water and do most of the work of finding prey.
4. Females can dive as deep as 1,735 m. Tagged females dived almost nonstop for 20 hours or more a day.
5. Elephant seals never need to drink. They get their water from the food they eat and from burning their fat.

The quiz

1. Why are elephant seals called elephant seals?

• They have tusks
• They live in Africa
• Their size and the male's big nose (correct)
• They eat leaves like elephants

The name comes from their great size and the male's large nose.

2. How big is a female compared with a male?

• About a third of his bulk (correct)
• Twice as heavy
• Exactly the same
• Ten times smaller

Females weigh roughly a third as much as males.

3. What does an elephant seal mainly use to find prey in the dark?

• Its sense of smell
• Its whiskers (correct)
• Echolocation
• Its tail

Its whiskers sense water movements and play the main role in locating prey.

4. How deep can a female northern elephant seal dive?

• Up to 50 m
• Up to 175 m
• Up to 17 km
• Up to 1,735 m (correct)

Females dive up to 1,735 m, deeper than males.

5. Where do elephant seals get their water?

• They drink from rivers
• They drink seawater all day
• From food and burning fat (correct)
• From rain puddles on the beach

They do not need to drink, getting water from food and fat.

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