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Show Strange Facts Elephants Without J Trunks 'PHE largest of the true seals are known as sea elephants. Full-grown bulls are sometimes 25 feet long and weigh over 2,000 pounds. They are called sea-elephants - not on account of their size, but because the ends of their noses are so shaped as to resemble resem-ble short, wrinkled trunks. Their hair is gray except for a patch of white on their necks and they have long tusks. Sea-elephants were once common all through the Pacific ocean, but their fat bodies yield so much oil that they have been hunted mercilessly. Now they are found only in the South Pacific ocean. Next to the sea elephants the largest of all the seals are the sea lions. Steller's sea lion, which is common throughout the North Pacific, Pa-cific, sometimes exceeds 10 feet in length. The short ears of sea lions differentiate them from true seals; also their necks are longer. Since their forelimbs are triangular triangu-lar paddles and their hindlimbs are web-toed feet which do not turn back like seal's feet, they can use all four limbs on land. They can easily climb up rocks and cliffs. Like the sea lions, the fur seals are not true seals, but eared seals, and they are sometimes known as sea bears. They differ from other seals in having a coat of thick, soft, brown underfur which we know as sealskin. The outer coat is composed of stiff grayish hairs which are removed when the fur is dressed. Britannica Junior |
