A large
pinniped,
species mirounga angustirostris. Males may grow to two and a half tons and over seventeen feet in length. The common name "Elephant Seal" is derived from the adult male's long
proboscis, which can be 1-2 feet in length. Males fight for access to groups of
females, who in turn fight for the best spots on the
beach to give
birth to their pups. Females are only in
estrus for one to three days a year, so the males who have fought their way closest to them are the ones who pass on their
genes. Only about one half of one percent of males
reproduce in their lifetimes.
(So quit your whining.)
Females usually give birth to only one
pup per year. They
nurse the pup for thirty days, then return to the
ocean. The pup may triple its weight during the nursing period. When mom leaves, the other females usually chase the pup out of the "
harem", or group of nursing females and their young. A few pups successfully
sneak back into the harem and fool a female into letting them nurse; they may even be "
adopted". These pups are referred to as "superweaners" or "double mother-sucklers" by
researchers. A superweaner can reach 300 pounds, at which point it can hardly move.
With mom gone, the pups hang out on the beach for a few months without eating or drinking. Then they teach themselves to
swim and
feed. Eventually, they leave the beach to swim a
gauntlet of great white
sharks waiting for a snack. 50% of all pups survive their first year.
These seals can
dive for well over an hour to depths of more than 5,000 feet. They only come ashore twice a year: once to
mate, and once to
molt. When they are on shore they don't
eat or
drink. Males may go three months without eating while hanging around waiting to mate with a female. Females who come ashore, give birth and nurse may lose 50% of their
body mass in a little over a month.