Commonly called as earless common seal or sea lion. flipper-like forelimbs
Body streamlined having more or less fish-like appearance. Body divisible into head, neck, back, chest and abdomen.
Head contains mouth, nostril and vibrissae.
Both forelimbs and hind limbs adapted for swimming and modified as flippers which act like oars. Feet webbed.
Annual movement of seals starts towards warmer water. Earless seals have limited seasonal migration.
Males larger than females.
Seals spend much of their life in water, but they mate, give birth to babies and take care of them on the shore.
Thick fur and blubber offer protection against freezing temperatures.
When they dive, they decrease the heart rate for 50-80%. Elephant seal will decrease number of heart beats from 112 to 20-50 during diving.
They can dive up to 1000-1300 feet deep when they are searching for food.
Seals have whiskers that help them detect the vibration of the prey under water.

Special features

Seals show some degree of territorial behaviour. Adult male fur seals arrive a month before at a breeding ground called as rookeries and establish a territory for females they copulate. Female gives birth to a single young seal. At seashore, seals by their play actions, amuse man and children. Other seals are ,eared seals, walrus seals and elephants seals