Leopard seals, despite their quite friendly appearance, are very dangerous predators. They, along with killer whales, instill fear and horror on all seals and penguins. It is worth this animal to open its huge mouth, as the world appears big fangs. And then immediately you realize that with this beast, except in aquariums and zoos, it is better not to meet anywhere else.
Leopard seals plow the expanses of almost all Antarctic seas. Migratory or simply strayed individuals are found in the area of Australia, New Zealand and near Tierra del Fuego. Often you can meet them on ice floes, where they warm themselves in the warm rays of the sun or quietly snuffle.
At first glance, a leopard seal can be mistaken for a normal seal, if not for its larger size and spotted skin, due to which this marine predator got its cat name.
Unlike other real seals, male leopards are smaller than females. The length of their body reaches 3-3.1 meters, in females – up to 4 meters. Coloring, like many large inhabitants of the seas, is protective – it is a dark gray back and a silvery abdomen.
The streamlined shape of the body allows the leopard seal to develop high speed during the hunt – up to 40 km / h and dive to a depth of 300 meters, so it’s not an easy task to get away from this predator.
The shape of his head is periodically compared to the head of snakes or turtles. The front fins have an elongated shape, allowing the animal to accelerate to such high speeds.
