One of the most dangerous, strong and ferocious predators of the Antarctic is the leopard seal. It refers to the family of true leopard seals and lives in all the Antarctic seas and the Southern Ocean to the boundary of the drifting ice. The total number of this mighty beast is about half a million individuals. Its abundance is not conspicuous, since the bloodthirsty leopard seal does not suit collective rookeries on the ice, but prefers proud silent loneliness to a bustling and discordant community.
By its appearance, the sea leopard is not like the other seals. One of the most important differences is his long thin and elegant body, something resembling a snake. The head is somewhat flattened, the jaw has two rows of powerful teeth with canine teeth. This animal has practically no hypodermic fat, although the weight is very decent. Females weigh 400 kg with a body length of 4 m, and males that are smaller have a body weight equal to 280 kg with a length of 3 meters.
The color of the skin on the head, on the back and sides of it is dark gray. The belly is almost white, and the border between the different colors is sharp. There are a lot of dark spots on the head and sides. It was thanks to them, as well as for their ferocious temper, the leopard seal and received such a noteworthy name. The newborn has exactly the same skin color as his parents.
