Sea leopard is considered one of the most powerful, ferocious and dangerous Arctic predators. It belongs to the seal family. The sea leopard lives in the Southern Ocean, right up to the border of drifting ice, and in all Arctic seas.
The bloodthirsty sea predator does not like ice rookeries, like other seals, preferring proud loneliness to huge companies. 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 number more than half a million.
The leopard seal looks very different from all other types of seals: its long snake-like body looks more elegant than that of its brethren, and practically does not have a thick fat layer. The presence of two rows of powerful sharp teeth and fangs in the mouth of the predator makes it clear that this beast eats mainly meat.
Its enormous weight and body length also speaks of strength and power. Moreover, females are much larger than males. For comparison: if an adult male with a three-meter length can "pull" 280 kilograms, then the females reach a four-meter length and weight of more than four centners!
Sea leopards have a slightly flattened head, dark gray in color, with many dark spots. Predators have the same color of the back and side. But the belly is striking in its sharp whiteness. Apparently, the spotting color of the seal, and even, perhaps, its ferocity, prompted people to call him a leopard.
Preferring loneliness , the sea leopard only for a short period of mating is combined in flocks. Moreover, these groups do not exceed 5 or 6 individuals. Usually the honeymoon of leopard weddings falls in the summer. But in these days devoted to “love,” the ferocious seal remains true to itself, because the process of fertilization of females without mating and courtship takes place, right in the water.
The female carries the future offspring of eleven months, gives birth to a thirty-kilogram cub usually at the beginning of summer, directly on ice. By the way, the mother of the leopard seal does not differ in excess of tenderness for her one and a half meter baby: she feeds the baby with her milk for only a month, and then leaves him to fend for herself.
And now, starting from a month old, a leopard baby is forced to independently obtain its own food in the water. However, the death of young animals is practically not observed, so these predators are strong and invincible, even very small cubs.
The female can mate for the first time at the age of three. The male, in order to feel the “masculine principle” in himself, needs a little more time - 4 years. The sea leopard lives on average a quarter of a century.
The main diet of the marine predator is crustaceans, fish and cephalopods. But woe to the gaping cub of a seal or elephant! The leopard, sometimes allowing itself to lie side by side with adult individuals of the pinnipeds, will not think about sparing their baby: friendship is friendship, and you don’t really want to break the diet ...
Of course, sometimes the predator also feasts on birds. But most of all from the evil killer penguins suffer: as you know, they do not know how to fly.
By the way, with regards to the taste preferences of the sea leopard. Some individuals choose exclusively a penguin diet, while others show a preference for a young seal.
But the worst thing is that a person can become a delicious dinner for this sea animal. It is especially dangerous to be close to the ice edge. A leopard can suddenly jump out of the water and grab a gaping prey. If the victim manages to escape from tenacious teeth, then the predator pursues her on the ice.
In the water, the leopard feels what is called a fish: for more than half an hour it can be under it, and during a swim it develops a speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour, diving to a depth of three hundred meters.