pinnipeds
Seals and walruses
Pinnipeds are marine mammals with flippers—seals, sea lions, and walruses.
The name means "fin-footed," describing limbs adapted for swimming rather than walking.
Pinnipeds spend much of their lives in water but come ashore to breed, rest, and raise young.
They're distinguished from fully aquatic cetaceans (whales, dolphins) by this amphibious lifestyle.
Foot-worn swim aids
- blubberMarine mammal fat
- whiskersFacial sensory hairs
- vibrissaeSensory facial hairs
- furAnimal body hair
tusks · webbed feet · streamlined · hydrodynamic · dorsal · ventral · pelage · molting
Aquatic whiskered mammals
- sea lionsLarge eared aquatic mammals
- walrusesLarge tusked marine mammals
- harbor sealTemperate coastal pinniped species
- elephant sealLarge pinniped, male snout-trunked
leopard seal · fur seal · grey seal · monk seal · harp seal
Massive saltwater body
- divingEntering water deliberately
- saltwaterOcean water, chemically speaking
- depthsLowest or innermost regions
- currentsDirectional flows of movement
tides · kelp · krill · fish · squid · foraging · predation · underwater
Communal bird nesting site
- colonyDependent territorial settlement
- breedingReproductive cultivation of organisms
- baskingWarming oneself pleasantly
- vocalizationsSounds produced by voice
barking · territorial · migration · pupping · nursing · weaning · social · congregating
Internally temperature-regulated
- endothermicAbsorbing thermal energy
- lactationMammary gland secretion
- gestationCarrying offspring in womb
- viviparousBearing live young
placental · vertebrates · lifespan · amphibious · adaptation · metabolism · diving reflex · thermoregulation
At risk of extinction
- protectedKept from harm
- huntingPursuing wild game
- cullingSelective population reduction
- bycatchNon-target species caught accidentally
habitat loss · climate change · pollution · marine sanctuaries · rehabilitation · population · extinction · monk seal
flippers
Foot-worn swim aids
fur · tusks · webbed feet · streamlined · hydrodynamic · dorsal · ventral · pelage · molting · countershading
seals
Aquatic whiskered mammals
- sea lionsLarge eared aquatic mammals
- walrusesLarge tusked marine mammals
- harbor sealTemperate coastal pinniped species
elephant seal · leopard seal · fur seal · grey seal · monk seal · harp seal
ocean
Massive saltwater body
- divingEntering water deliberately
- saltwaterOcean water, chemically speaking
- depthsLowest or innermost regions
currents · tides · kelp · krill · fish · squid · foraging · predation · underwater · submerge
rookery
Communal bird nesting site
- colonyDependent territorial settlement
- breedingReproductive cultivation of organisms
- baskingWarming oneself pleasantly
vocalizations · barking · territorial · migration · pupping · nursing · weaning · social · congregating · thermoregulation
warm-blooded
Internally temperature-regulated
- endothermicAbsorbing thermal energy
- lactationMammary gland secretion
- gestationCarrying offspring in womb
viviparous · placental · vertebrates · lifespan · amphibious · adaptation · metabolism · diving reflex · thermoregulation
endangered
At risk of extinction
bycatch · habitat loss · climate change · pollution · marine sanctuaries · rehabilitation · population · extinction · monk seal · overfishing