Details
Hydrurga leptonyx
A large Antarctic seal with a long head and spotted body. It is a top predator that can take penguins and other seals as well as fish and krill.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Leopard seals inhabit Antarctic pack ice, ice edges, island coasts, and cold open water. Some individuals move northward seasonally.
The body is long and powerful, with a large head, gray back, pale underside, and dark spots. The mouth is broad with sharp teeth.
They are mostly solitary and often hunt near ice edges or shorelines. Strong swimming and ambush tactics help them capture agile prey.
They eat penguins, young seals, fish, squid, and krill. Their teeth can grip large prey and also strain small crustaceans.
Females give birth to a single pup on ice during the Antarctic spring or early summer. Nursing is short and energetically intense.
As an Antarctic top predator, the species may be affected by changes in sea ice and the distribution of penguins and krill.
