Creature Feature – Ross Seal
This week is the letter ‘R’, and today’s featured creature is the Ross Seal.
Ross seals look different than other seals. They have a smaller, wider head, and a short snout. They also have a small mouth and the shortest hair of any seal. They are a rare and little-known species
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Ommatophoca rossii
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Ommatophoca
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Ross Seal Fact File
Size: Individuals can reach up to 3m in length and weigh around 200kg
Distribution: This species is mostly found on the pack ice around the Antarctic continent
Diet: They feed primarily on cephalopods but also some fish and plankton
Behaviour: Ross seals are the least studied of the Antarctic seals due to their dispersed and isolated distribution. They are usually observed as solitary individuals, appearing to prefer larger and more concentrated ice located further in from the ice pack edge. There is not much known about their breeding season, but it probably takes place in November and December
IUCN Status: Least Concern. However, it is very difficult to determine population size. The Ross seal is the rarest of the four seal species breeding on the Antarctic pack ice
