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Leopard
Seal
Leopard Seal - Hydrurga
leptonyx
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Leopard Seals truly live up to their name, and not just by having spots on their fur. These animals are deadly hunters of penguins and they also take sea birds and pups of other seal species. They are the only species of seal which feed mainly on warm-blooded animals - most other seals feed on fish and squid.
There are two kinds of seals which are found in Australian waters. The fur seals and sea-lions are those that breed along the Australian coast. These animals have narrow, but obvious ears, and their front flippers are well developed so that the animals can rest on them and use them for moving on land.
The other group, the so-called true seals - which includes the Leopard Seal - have no external ears and have weak front flippers, so to move on the land they must slither like a caterpillar - notice that the front flippers are barely visible on the animal in the picture. There are no true seals that breed on Australian coasts but several species, come to our shores occasionally.
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