Northern elephant seal pups are black when born and turn light silver after molting. When they grow into adults, the coat turns grey or dark brown. Adult males will develop a large proboscis that can be used to produce extremely loud roaring sounds during mating competitions.
They are one of the success stories of conservation efforts because when whales become scarce, they are hunted to the brink of extinction for their blubber to be used in lamps. In 1910, it was estimated that less than 100 individuals survived. Today, their population has rebounded to around 150,000 individuals, about the same size as before hunting.
Distribution
Pacific ocean
Gulf of California
Japan Sea
Canada
Japan
Mexico
United StatesAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
